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B♭ Minor Major 7th

Also Known As
What are Enharmonics?B♭ / A♯ Equivalent

Hear the B♭ Minor Major 7th chord played for you.

B♭m(maj7)
B♭ – D♭ – F – A
Formula:R-m3-P5-M7
Intervals:P1-m3-P5-M7
Scale Degrees:1-b3-5-7

Introduction

B♭ Minor Major 7th on the piano — Notes: B♭ – D♭ – F – A
B♭ Minor Major 7th chord on the piano

The B♭ Minor Major 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 major seventh.

The Bb Minor Major 7th piano chord (BbmMaj7) consists of the notes Bb, Db, F, A. It is a minor triad with an added major 7th, giving it a dark and complex character with strong tension, often used in jazz and minor key progressions. Formula: R-m3-P5-M7 | Scale degrees: 1-b3-5-7.

Notes

Notes:B♭ – D♭ – F – A

B♭ Minor Major 7th Inversions

PositionNotes
Root PositionB♭ – D♭ – F – A
1st InversionD♭ – F – A – B♭
2nd InversionF – A – B♭ – D♭
3rd InversionB♭ – D♭ – F – A

Key Signature

The key of Bb Minor Major 7th has 5 flats.

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭

Order of flats

Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.

BEADGCF

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Chords in the Key of B♭ Minor

These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the B♭ minor scale:

C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
iB♭ Minor (minor)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1iB♭ MinorMinor
2ii°C DiminishedDiminished
3IIID♭ MajorMajor
4ivE♭ MinorMinor
5vF MinorMinor
6VIG♭ MajorMajor
7VIIA♭ MajorMajor

Theory: Intervals

Formula: R-m3-P5-M7
Intervals: P1-m3-P5-M7

The B♭ Minor Major 7th is built by stacking intervals from the root note. The formula R-m3-P5-M7 describes the scale degrees used. The intervals P1-m3-P5-M7 show the distance between each note in the chord.

B♭ Minor Major 7th — Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the Bb Minor Major 7th chord?
BbmMaj7 contains: Bb, Db, F, A. Minor triad with major seventh.
How does BbmMaj7 differ from Bbm7?
BbmMaj7 has A (major seventh), Bbm7 has Ab (minor seventh).
How is BbmMaj7 used in music?
Harmonic minor i chord. Jazz, R&B, film scoring.
What songs use Minor Major 7th?
James Bond, My Funny Valentine, Stairway to Heaven pattern.
Why does it sound tense?
Minor third (Db) and major seventh (A) create dissonance.
How does BbmMaj7 differ from Bbmaj7?
BbmMaj7 has minor third (Db). Bbmaj7 has major third (D).

Practice Tips

  • Play Bbm then add A — dramatic tension.
  • Descending line: Bbm → BbmMaj7 → Bbm7 → Bbm6.
  • Harmonic minor i chord.
  • Compare with Bbm7.
  • The Db–A interval creates tension.
  • Jazz and film scoring.

Related Tools

Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.