B minor seventh

Bm7

Also written Bmin7 · B−7 · Bmi7

NotesB · D · F♯ · A
Formula1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
B1D♭3A♭7F♯5
Root position

The minor 7th: ii of A major, where it opens the ii–V–I Bm7 → E7Amaj7. It also plays iii of G major and vi of D major.

How pianists voice Bm7

Nobody plays a jazz chord in root position. These are the shapes that actually get played — the same ones Cadenza shows when you play the chord.

Shell Left hand

B1D♭3A♭7

1 · ♭3 · ♭7 — root, 3rd and 7th: the three notes that say what the chord is. Left hand, low; everything else is colour.

Rootless A From the 3rd

D♭3A♭7F♯5C♯9

♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 — no root: the bass player has it. The left-hand voicing of modern jazz piano. Without B underneath, the same keys read as Dmaj7 — the bass turns them into Bm7.

Rootless B From the 7th

A♭7D♭3C♯9F♯5

♭7 · 9 · ♭3 · 5 — the other half of the pair. A and B alternate through a ii–V–I so the hand barely moves.

Drop 2 Two hands

B1D♭3A♭7F♯5

5 · 1 · ♭3 · ♭7 — close position with the second voice from the top dropped an octave: wider, warmer, the standard for chord melody.

Bm7 inversions

The same 4 notes with a different one in the bass. Each inversion is written as a slash chord.

Root position Bm7

B1D♭3A♭7F♯5

Root at the bottom, stacked in 3rds: 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7.

1st inversion Bm7/D

D♭3A♭7B1F♯5

D (the ♭3) in the bass: ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 1.

2nd inversion Bm7/F♯

A♭7B1D♭3F♯5

F♯ (the 5) in the bass: 5 · ♭7 · 1 · ♭3.

3rd inversion Bm7/A

A♭7B1D♭3F♯5

A (the ♭7) in the bass: ♭7 · 1 · ♭3 · 5.

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