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B minor major 7th chord on guitar (BmMaj7)
Also called or written BmMaj7, Bminmaj7, Bmmaj7, BmM7, B Minor Sharp 7 or B Minor ♯7
B minor major 7th is built from B, D, F♯, and A♯. The open voicing uses two open strings, giving it a ringing, slightly hollow quality.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7
- Root positionB–D–F♯–A♯BmMaj7×-2-0-3-0-2
- First inversionD–F♯–A♯–BBmMaj7/D×-×-0-3-0-2
- Second inversionF♯–A♯–B–DBmMaj7/F♯2-1-0-3-0-2
- Third inversionA♯–B–D–F♯BmMaj7/A♯×-1-0-3-0-2
How do you play a B minor major 7th chord on guitar?
B minor major 7th is played in open position as × 2 0 3 0 2: index finger on the A string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 3 and middle 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) | 3 | 3 | A♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | B (1) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (5) |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires precise finger placement to avoid muting the open B string while fretting the adjacent A and high e strings.
Open · ×-2-0-3-3-2
B minor major 7th is played in open position as × 2 0 3 3 2: index finger on the A string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 3, pinky finger on the B string at fret 3 and middle 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) | 3 | 3 | A♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (5) |
2nd fret
B minor major 7th is played at the 2nd fret as × 2 4 3 3 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, pinky finger on the D string at fret 4, middle finger on the G string at fret 3 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) | 3 | 2 | A♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 3 | D (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
7th fret
B minor major 7th is played at the 7th fret as 7 9 8 7 7 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, pinky finger on the A string at fret 9 and ring finger on the D string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 4 | F♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | 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 major 7th is played at the 9th fret as × × 9 11 11 10: index finger on the D string at fret 9, ring finger on the G string at fret 11, pinky finger on the B string at fret 11 and middle 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 | 3 | F♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 4 | A♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 2 | D (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
B minor major 7th stacks a minor triad (1, ♭3, 5) with a major seventh (7), giving the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7. The major seventh A♯ is the note that gives this chord its unresolved, leading-tone tension. Compare it to B minor, which lacks that seventh and sounds more stable.
What goes wrong with B minor major 7th?
- Letting the low E string ring, which is not a chord tone.
- Flattening the index finger onto the D string, deadening it.
- Pressing the middle finger against the B string, stopping it from ringing.
When to use it
B minor major 7th works as a tonic in B minor, often moving to B minor or B suspended 4th. It suits dark folk, jazz waltzes, and tense film cues.
Changing to and from B minor major 7th
- Move to B minor by lifting the ring finger from the G string, leaving the other fingers in place.
Which voicing to use
The open position is the easiest and has B in the bass. The 7th fret barre voicing gives a fuller sound with the root on the low E string. The 9th fret voicing omits the low strings for a tighter, higher-register color.
Other B chords
Common questions
How is B minor major 7th written?
B minor major 7th is written Bmmaj7, Bminmaj7, or BmM7. The symbol mmaj7 is also used.
Why does the open voicing mute the low E string?
The open low E is not a chord tone, so it must be muted to avoid dissonance. Muting it keeps the bass note as B.
How does B minor major 7th differ from B minor 7th?
B minor 7th has a minor seventh (A) while B minor major 7th has a major seventh (A♯). The major seventh creates a sharper, more leading-tone pull.
What scale does B minor major 7th come from?
B minor major 7th appears in B harmonic minor and B melodic minor scales. The raised seventh degree of those scales is the A♯ in this chord.