B♭m7 chord on guitar

B♭m7 is B♭, D♭, F and A♭. The usual shape is x-1-3-1-2-1, a barre at the 1st fret. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.

x-1-3-1-2-1 · barre · hard

Notes: B♭ · D♭ · F · A♭
Formula: 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
First shape: x-1-3-1-2-1

How to play B♭m7 on guitar

Shape 1, x-1-3-1-2-1, reading from the low E string on the left:

Index finger lies flat over the 5 strings from the A string to the high E string, just behind the 1st fret wire.
D♭: middle finger, 2nd fret of the B string.
F: ring finger, 3rd fret of the D string.
Strum from the A string down; the low E string stays silent.

Near the nut the strings sit highest, so this barre takes the most pressure. Check each string one at a time and move the finger a hair closer to the fret wire for any that buzz.

Other ways to play B♭m7

x-1-3-1-2-x: movable shape, medium. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.
6-8-6-6-6-6: barre shape at the 6th fret, medium. Root on the 6th string: move it up or down and it names a different minor seventh chord.
x-13-15-13-14-13: barre shape at the 13th fret, medium. Root on the 5th string, so it pairs well with the 6th-string shape a few frets away.

B♭m7 the capo way

A capo turns an open chord into B♭m7: capo on the 1st fret and play the open Am7 shape (x-0-2-0-1-0) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open Em7 shape (0-2-2-0-3-0). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

B♭m7 chord changes

The chords B♭m7 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

E♭7 (V in A♭ major): B♭m7 (x-1-3-1-2-1) to E♭7 (x-x-1-3-2-3): your middle finger stays put, your index finger lands on the D string, 1st fret, the ring finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the pinky finger comes down on the high E string, 3rd fret. Shared notes: B♭ and D♭. E♭7 on guitar
C♯maj7 (IV in A♭ major): B♭m7 (x-1-3-1-2-1) to C♯maj7 (x-4-6-5-6-4): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 4th fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 5th fret, move the ring finger to the D string, 6th fret, the pinky finger comes down on the B string, 6th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for D♭, F and A♭, which stay put while the rest moves. C♯maj7 on guitar
A♭maj7 (I in A♭ major): B♭m7 (x-1-3-1-2-1) to A♭maj7 (4-6-5-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, the middle finger goes to the D string, 5th fret, move the ring finger to the G string, 5th fret, the pinky finger comes down on the A string, 6th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Shared note: A♭. A♭maj7 on guitar

B♭m7 is a minor seventh chord: a minor triad plus a minor seventh. B♭m7 is the easy-going minor, common as the ii chord right before a dominant seventh. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

A short B♭m7 drill

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: B♭, F, A♭, D♭, F. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Finish by moving between x-1-3-1-2-1 and x-1-3-1-2-x to learn two positions of the same chord.

Written A♯m7, it's the same chord with the same frets.

B♭m7 in context

In A♭ major, ii–V–I on guitar is B♭m7 (x-1-3-1-2-1), E♭7 (x-x-1-3-2-3) and A♭maj7 (4-6-5-5-4-4). About the jazz cadence.

B♭m7 on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try B♭m7 on ukulele or B♭m7 on piano, or compare them on the B♭m7 chord page.

Related B♭ chords on guitar

Other minor seventh chords

B♭m7 on guitar: questions

What notes are in B♭m7 on guitar?

B♭, D♭, F and A♭. In the x-1-3-1-2-1 shape the strings play B♭ (A string), F (D string), A♭ (G string), D♭ (B string) and F (high E string), so F is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play B♭m7 on guitar?

In standard tuning B♭m7 can't use open strings. Begin with x-1-3-1-2-x. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is B♭m7 a barre chord on guitar?

Usually, yes. x-1-3-1-2-1 has your index finger across the 1st fret. x-1-3-1-2-x avoids the barre.

Which string does B♭m7 start on?

In the x-1-3-1-2-1 shape the lowest string you play is the A string at the 1st fret, which is B♭, the root. Skip the low E string.

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes B♭, D♭, F and A♭ and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.