B♭m7 chord on piano
B♭m7 (B flat minor 7th) is a minor 7th chord built on B♭. It has 4 notes, B♭, D♭, F and A♭, and its formula is 1 ♭3 5 ♭7.
Notes and intervals of B♭m7
From the root upwards, B♭m7 contains root (B♭), minor 3rd (D♭), perfect 5th (F) and minor 7th (A♭). Those intervals give the chord its colour: the formula 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 works the same way in every key, so once you know it for B♭ you can build the chord on any note.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | B♭ |
| ♭3 | minor 3rd | D♭ |
| 5 | perfect 5th | F |
| ♭7 | minor 7th | A♭ |
How to play B♭m7 on piano
Find B♭ and play B♭, D♭, F and A♭ together. With the right hand, a common fingering is 1-2-3-5. With the left hand, reverse it (5-3-2-1). Keep your wrist level and let the fingers curve, so all 4 keys go down at the same time.
Inversions of B♭m7
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts another one in the bass. B♭m7 has 3 inversions besides root position: 1st inversion (D♭ F A♭ B♭), 2nd inversion (F A♭ B♭ D♭) and 3rd inversion (A♭ B♭ D♭ F). Inversions let you move between chords with tiny hand movements, which is how pianists make progressions sound smooth.
Which keys use B♭m7?
You find B♭m7 as a diatonic chord in D flat major (vi7), A flat major (ii7) and G flat major (iii7). The most common case is D flat major, where it plays the role of vi7.
Scales to play over B♭m7
To improvise over B♭m7, start with B flat natural minor scale. All of these scales contain every note of the chord: B flat natural minor scale, B flat minor pentatonic scale, B flat blues scale, B flat Dorian mode and B flat Phrygian mode. Aim for the chord notes on strong beats and use the other notes to move between them.
About minor 7th chords
A minor triad plus a minor seventh: 1 ♭3 5 ♭7. Softer and more open than a plain minor chord, the minor seventh is mellow, slightly melancholic and has no urge to resolve. It contains a major triad on its ♭3, which is why it sounds warm rather than dark. For example Am7: A C E G, with C E G inside.
It sits naturally on ii, iii and vi of a major key, and on i, iv and v of the natural minor. Its star role is the ii7 of the ii-V-I: ii7 V7 Imaj7 (for example Dm7 G7 Cmaj7). Funk and soul vamp on one m7 for minutes, and pop uses vi7 and ii7 to soften plain triads.
Root position 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 works fine, but jazz pianists often play the root and ♭7 in the left hand and the ♭3 and 5 (or ♭3, 5, 9) in the right. In ii7 V7 I, voice-lead: the ♭3 of ii7 stays as the ♭7 of V7, and the ♭7 of ii7 slides down a semitone to the 3 of V7.
m7 is not m(maj7): Am7 has G, Am(maj7) has G♯. Do not confuse it with m7♭5 either: lower the fifth and you get a half-diminished chord with a much tenser role. Finally, a m7 chord has the same four notes as the 6 chord on its ♭3 (Am7 and C6): the bass note decides which one you hear.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the B♭m7 chord?
B♭m7 (B flat minor 7th) contains B♭, D♭, F and A♭. In intervals: root (B♭), minor 3rd (D♭), perfect 5th (F) and minor 7th (A♭).
How do you play B♭m7 on piano?
Play B♭, D♭, F and A♭ together with the right-hand fingering 1-2-3-5. You can also play it in 3 inversions, shown on this page.
What scale goes with B♭m7?
B flat natural minor scale fits B♭m7 best. Other scales that contain all its notes: B flat minor pentatonic scale, B flat blues scale, B flat Dorian mode and B flat Phrygian mode.
What key is B♭m7 in?
B♭m7 belongs to D flat major (vi7), A flat major (ii7) and G flat major (iii7). In D flat major it is the vi7 chord.
Related
- See B♭m7 on guitar
- D♭
- Fm
- E♭m
- F7
- B♭
- B♭m
- B♭7
- B♭maj7
- B♭sus4
- B flat natural minor scale
- B flat minor pentatonic scale
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