B♭ minor seventh (B♭m7) chord on guitar

The B♭ minor seventh chord (B♭m7) is a minor seventh chord (a minor triad plus a minor seventh), made of four notes: B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭. The same chord with a different spelling: A♯ minor seventh (A♯m7).

Dots show:

Easy versioneasy

A shape, fret 1medium

Position 4medium

E shape, fret 6medium

Position 6medium

D shape, fret 8medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the B♭m7 chord sounds like

A minor seventh chord is softer than a plain minor chord – the minor seventh fills out the sound. In jazz it is the ii of the ii–V–I, in pop and soul a common colour chord.

Notes of the B♭m7 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	B♭	root
3	D♭	minor third (3 semitones)
5	F	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	A♭	minor seventh (10 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Easy version

String 1 (e): fret 4, ring finger (A♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, index finger (D♭4)
String 3 (G): fret 3, middle finger (B♭3)
String 4 (D): not played
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

A shape, fret 1, barre at fret 1

String 1 (e): fret 1, index finger (F4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, middle finger (D♭4)
String 3 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭3)
String 4 (D): fret 3, ring finger (F3)
String 5 (A): fret 1, index finger (B♭2)
String 6 (E): not played

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 1; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 4

String 1 (e): fret 6, little finger (B♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 6, little finger (F4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, little finger (D♭4)
String 4 (D): fret 6, little finger (A♭3)
String 5 (A): fret 4, index finger (D♭3)
String 6 (E): fret 6, ring finger (B♭2)

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing B♭m7 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a B♭m7 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 1
shape: Am7

Capo: fret 6
shape: Em7

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The B♭m7 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

B♭ minor: i7 (tonic)
E♭ minor: v7 (dominant)
F minor: iv7 (subdominant)
G♭ major: iii7
D♭ major: vi7
A♭ major: ii7

Similar chords and substitutes

If B♭m7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

C♯maj7 – relative major seventh: three shared notes
E♭7 – in a ii–V, this is the dominant that follows

Same notes

C♯6 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

B♭m – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
B♭5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

B♭m9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B♭m7 chord?

B♭, D♭, F, A♭. The root is B♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.

What is the easiest way to play B♭m7 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Easy version”, rated easy. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Am7 shape at fret 1 or a Em7 shape at fret 6.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some B♭m7 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (F) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

Why do some songbooks write H instead of B?

In German and Central European notation, H is the note B, and B is the note B♭. So a “B” chord in a German or Hungarian songbook is B♭ in English notation, and an “H” chord is B. Always check which notation your chord chart uses.