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B minor 7th chord on guitar (Bm7)
Also called or written Bm7 or Bmin7
B minor 7th contains B, D, F♯, and A. The open voicing is advanced because the low E must be muted while the other five strings ring.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7
- Root positionB–D–F♯–ABm7×-2-0-2-0-2
- First inversionD–F♯–A–BBm7/D×-×-0-2-0-2
- Second inversionF♯–A–B–DBm7/F♯2-0-0-2-0-2
- Third inversionA–B–D–F♯Bm7/A×-0-0-2-0-2
How do you play a B minor 7th chord on guitar?
B minor 7th is played in open position as × 2 0 2 0 2: index finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 2 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2. The D and B strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 | B (1) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | B (1) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 3 | F♯ (5) |
AdvancedThe low E string must be muted while the other five strings ring, which requires precise right-hand control.
Open · ×-2-0-2-3-2
B minor 7th is played in open position as × 2 0 2 3 2: index finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 2, pinky finger on the B string at fret 3 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2. The D string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 | B (1) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 3 | F♯ (5) |
2nd fret
B minor 7th is played at the 2nd fret as × 2 4 2 3 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, pinky finger on the D string at fret 4 and ring finger on the B string at fret 3. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 4 | F♯ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 3 | D (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
7th fret
B minor 7th is played at the 7th fret as 7 9 7 7 7 7: barre your index finger across fret 7 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 4 | F♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 1 (barre) | D (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
9th fret
B minor 7th is played at the 9th fret as × × 9 11 10 10: index finger on the D string at fret 9, pinky finger on the G string at fret 11, middle finger on the B string at fret 10 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 10. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 | B (1) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 4 | F♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 2 | A (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 3 | D (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
B minor 7th is built from 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7. The ♭7 adds a mellow edge to the minor triad. Compare it with B minor, which has no seventh.
What goes wrong with B minor 7th?
- The low E string rings out, muddying the bass.
- The index finger collapses and mutes the D string.
- The ring finger touches the B string, killing the open note.
When to use it
B minor 7th works in the I–V–vi–IV progression in D major: D major–A major–B minor–G major. It suits rock, pop, and ballads.
Changing to and from B minor 7th
- Move to <a href="/guitar/d-major-chord">D major</a> by lifting the middle and ring fingers and placing the index finger on the G string 2nd fret.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing is the easiest to grab. The 2nd fret barre is fuller and better for strumming. The 7th fret barre is brighter and cuts through a mix.
Other B chords
Common questions
How is B minor 7th written?
B minor 7th is written as Bmin7 or Bm7.
What is the difference between B minor 7th and B minor?
B minor 7th adds the note A to the B minor triad. That A is a minor 7th above B, giving the chord a softer, more colorful sound.
Why is the low E string muted in the open voicing?
The open E string is not a chord tone, so it would clash with the chord. Muting it keeps the voicing clean.