A♯m(maj7): A♯/B♭ Minor Major 7th Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	A♯, C♯, E♯, G×	2-3-4-5
Left	A♯, C♯, E♯, G×	5-4-3-2

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	A♯	Perfect unison	0
♭3	C♯	Minor third	3
5	E♯	Perfect fifth	7
7	G×	Major seventh	11

Construction

A♯ Minor Major 7th = Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th + Major 7th = A♯, C♯, E♯, G♯♯

Note	Interval	Degree
A♯	Root	1
C♯	Minor 3rd	♭3
E♯	Perfect 5th	5
G♯♯	Major 7th	7

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
A♯	black	index finger (2)	little finger (5)
C♯	black	middle finger (3)	ring finger (4)
E♯	white	ring finger (4)	middle finger (3)
G♯♯	white	little finger (5)	index finger (2)

Right hand: index finger (2) on A♯, middle finger (3) on C♯, ring finger (4) on E♯, little finger (5) on G♯♯.

Left hand: little finger (5) on A♯, ring finger (4) on C♯, middle finger (3) on E♯, index finger (2) on G♯♯.

A♯ Minor Major 7th Inversions

Root position
A♯ – C♯ – E♯ – G♯♯
1st inversion (A♯m(maj7)/C♯)
C♯ – E♯ – G♯♯ – A♯
2nd inversion (A♯m(maj7)/E♯)
E♯ – G♯♯ – A♯ – C♯
3rd inversion (A♯m(maj7)/G♯♯)
G♯♯ – A♯ – C♯ – E♯

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the A♯ Minor Major 7th is the tonic (i) chord of A♯ Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, C♯ Major: 7 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯).

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

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.

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of A♯ Minor

These are the triads built on each degree of A♯ Minor:

i — A♯ Minor (minor)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	i	A♯ Minor	Minor
2	ii°	B♯ Diminished	Diminished
3	III	C♯ Major	Major
4	iv	D♯ Minor	Minor
5	v	E♯ Minor	Minor
6	VI	F♯ Major	Major
7	VII	G♯ Major	Major

Looking for A♯m7? See the A♯ minor 7th piano chord.

A♯ Minor Major 7th : Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in A♯mMaj7?

A♯mMaj7 contains A♯, C♯, E♯ and G×. The formula is 1, ♭3, 5, 7.

How do you play A♯mMaj7 on piano?

Play A♯, C♯, E♯ and G× together. Right hand fingers 2, 3, 4, 5; left hand 5, 4, 3, 2. A♯ and C♯ are black keys; E♯ and G× are white.

What are the inversions of A♯mMaj7?

4 positions: root position A♯ C♯ E♯ G×, A♯mMaj7/C♯, A♯mMaj7/E♯, A♯mMaj7/G×.

What is the difference between A♯mMaj7 and A♯m?

Drops G×. 3 of the notes are shared.

What is an easy A♯mMaj7 for small hands?

The close, second inversion voicing, E♯4 G×4 A♯4 C♯5, spans 8 semitones or about 110 mm.

What are the frequencies of A♯mMaj7?

From A♯3 at A440 in 12-TET: 233.08, 277.18, 349.23, 440.00 Hz.

What is the set class of A♯mMaj7?

Prime form (0148), Forte 4-19, interval vector <101310>.

How do I transpose A♯mMaj7 to another key?

Keep the 1, ♭3, 5, 7 formula on the new root. CmMaj7 is C, E♭, G, B; C♯mMaj7 is C♯, E, G♯, B♯.

Is B♭mMaj7 the same as A♯mMaj7?

Enharmonically yes: the same piano keys and the same sound, spelled differently.

A♯ Minor Major 7th in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	A♯3 C♯4 E♯4 G×4	11	151 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	C♯4 E♯4 G×4 A♯4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	E♯4 G×4 A♯4 C♯5	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, third inversion	G×4 A♯4 C♯5 E♯5	8	110 mm	none	identical
Drop 2	E♯3 A♯3 C♯4 G×4	16	220 mm	none	identical
Drop 3	C♯3 A♯3 E♯4 G×4	20	275 mm	none	identical
Drop 2 and 4	A♯2 E♯3 C♯4 G×4	23	316 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Shell, root 7 ♭3	A♯2 G×3 C♯4	15	206 mm	omits E♯	subset
Guide tones, ♭3 and 7	C♯4 G×4	8	110 mm	omits A♯ and E♯	subset
Rootless close	C♯4 E♯4 G×4	8	110 mm	omits A♯	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	A♯	A♯3, C♯4, E♯4, G×4	7	11	151 mm
First inversion: A♯mMaj7/C♯	C♯	C♯4, E♯4, G×4, A♯4	6/5	9	124 mm
Second inversion: A♯mMaj7/E♯	E♯	E♯4, G×4, A♯4, C♯5	4/3	8	110 mm
Third inversion: A♯mMaj7/G×	G×	G×4, A♯4, C♯5, E♯5	4/2	8	110 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
A♯m	drops G×	1 ♭3 5	3
A♯maj7	C♯ becomes C×	1 3 5 7	3
A♯m7	G× becomes G♯	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	3
A♯m6	G× becomes F×	1 ♭3 5 6	3
A♯maj9	C♯ becomes C×, B♯	1 3 5 7 9	3
A♯m9	G× becomes G♯, B♯	1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9	3
A♯	C♯, G× becomes C×	1 3 5	2
A♯dim	E♯, G× becomes E	1 ♭3 ♭5	2
A♯sus2	C♯, G× becomes B♯	1 2 5	2
A♯sus4	C♯, G× becomes D♯	1 4 5	2
A♯7	C♯, G× becomes C×, G♯	1 3 5 ♭7	2
A♯m7♭5	E♯, G× becomes E, G♯	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7	2

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
A♯3	58	233.08 Hz
C♯4	61	277.18 Hz
E♯4	65	349.23 Hz
G×4	69	440.00 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {10, 1, 5, 9}
Normal order: [9, 10, 1, 5]
Prime form: (0148)
Forte number: 4-19
Interval vector: <101310>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
A♯ to C♯	Minor third	3	3
A♯ to E♯	Perfect fifth	7	5
A♯ to G×	Major seventh	11	1
C♯ to E♯	Major third	4	4
C♯ to G×	Minor sixth	8	4
E♯ to G×	Major third	4	4

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a minor major 7th applied to the root A♯, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

A♯ Minor Major 7th

Fingerings

A♯ Minor Major 7th: notes and degrees