The B Minor 7th chord is a four-note chord made up of B, D, F♯, and A. It is built from a root, minor third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh.
Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| B | Root | 1 |
| D | Minor 3rd | ♭3 |
| F♯ | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| A | Minor 7th | ♭7 |
B Minor 7th Inversions
| Position | Notes |
|---|---|
| Root Position | B – D – F♯ – A |
| 1st Inversion | D – F♯ – A – B |
| 2nd Inversion | F♯ – A – B – D |
| 3rd Inversion | A – B – D – F♯ |
Key Signature
A chord has no key signature of its own, but the B Minor 7th is the tonic (i) chord of B Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, D Major — 2 sharps (F♯, C♯).
Order of sharps
Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.
Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle
Chords in the Key of B Minor
These are the triads built on each degree of the B minor scale:
How B Minor 7th functions in a key
The same chord takes on a different harmonic role depending on the key it appears in. Here is where B Minor 7th sits diatonically across the common keys:
- In D major, B Minor 7th is the vi chord — the tonic.
- In B minor, B Minor 7th is the i chord — the tonic.
- In A major, B Minor 7th is the ii chord — a predominant.
- In F♯ minor, B Minor 7th is the iv chord — a predominant.
- In G major, B Minor 7th is the iii chord — a mediant / color chord.
- In E minor, B Minor 7th is the v chord.
Same Notes, Other Names
The notes B – D – F♯ – A aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell: