Bm(maj7) B minor-major seventh chord
- Notes
- B D F# A#
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 7
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 11 above the root
- Other symbols
- BmM7, Bm(Δ7), Bmin(maj7)
B to D is a minor third (3 semitones), D to F# is a major third (4 semitones), F# to A# is a major third (4 semitones). A minor triad with a major seventh, A#, a half step below the root. The minor third D and the major seventh make an augmented triad (D F# A#) inside the chord, which gives it its tense, suspenseful sound.
Bm(maj7) on the piano
Root position from B4: B4, D5, F#5, A#5. Middle C is C4.
Bm(maj7) on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has B as its lowest note.
x 2 4 3 3 2 (low E to high e)
Sounds B2 F#3 A#3 D4 F#4
7 x 8 7 7 x (low E to high e)
Sounds B2 A#3 D4 F#4
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play minor-major seventh chords on other roots.
Inversions of Bm(maj7)
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | B D F# A# | Bm(maj7) | |
| 1st inversion | D F# A# B | Bm(maj7)/D | |
| 2nd inversion | F# A# B D | Bm(maj7)/F# | |
| 3rd inversion | A# B D F# | Bm/A# (also read as Bm(maj7)/A#) |
Where Bm(maj7) fits
Bm(maj7) is i(maj7) in B minor. Most often it is a passing chord in the descending line Bm → Bm(maj7) → Bm7 → Bm6, where one voice falls a half step at a time from B. The first four bars of the jazz standard "My Funny Valentine" (Cm, Cm(maj7), Cm7, Cm6 in C minor) are exactly that line.