Bm7 Chord on Guitar

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Bm7 is a minor seventh chord made of 4 notes: B, D, F♯, A. It sounds soft and mellow, a minor chord with the edge taken off, and you hear it in soul, R&B, jazz and smooth pop, often as the ii chord. It is the i chord of B minor and turns up in 5 other keys.

The library above opens on Bm7 with 14 shapes up and down the neck, starting with hand-checked ones. Tap a shape to hear it, or play it one string at a time.

Notes in Bm7

NoteDegreeInterval from BSemitones
B1root0
D♭3minor third3
F♯5perfect fifth7
A♭7minor seventh10

Formula: 1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7. On guitar the 5th is often left out of the bigger shapes without changing the chord.

How to play Bm7

132
A-shape barre at fret 2Mediumx24232
234
Open positionBeginnerx20202
123
Open positionBeginnerx2023x
5fr213333
Fret 5Easy757777
7fr12
E-shape barre at fret 7Easy797777
3fr213
Fret 3Beginnerxxx435

Open position (root on the 5th string), step by step

  1. 2nd finger (middle): 5th string, 2nd fret (B, the root).
  2. 3rd finger (ring): 3rd string, 2nd fret (A, the minor seventh).
  3. 4th finger (little): 1st string, 2nd fret (F♯, the fifth).
  4. Let the 4th string, 2nd string ring open (D, B).
  5. Strum from the 5th string, and keep the 6th string quiet.

Tips

The open position shape is the one to learn first. Once it is easy, try the shape at the 5th fret (757777): the same chord, higher and brighter, handy when the chords before and after it sit up the neck.

Keys and progressions with Bm7

Bm7 belongs to 6 keys: vi in D major, iii in G major, ii in A major, v in E minor, iv in F♯ minor, i in B minor. In B minor, try i–VI–III–VII: Bm7 – G – D – A.

Common questions

What notes are in Bm7?

B, D, F♯, A: the root, minor third, fifth, minor seventh.

What is the easiest way to play Bm7?

Open position: x20202 (low string first), rated Beginner.

What is the difference between Bm7 and Bm?

Bm7 has A. Bm7 sounds soft and mellow, a minor chord with the edge taken off; Bm sounds darker and more serious than a major chord.

Is Bm7 a hard chord?

No. The easiest shape is rated Beginner and needs 3 fingers.

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