B minor 7th chord is one of the most widely used guitar chords, commonly referred to as James Bond or Hitchcock chord because of its use in spy movies.
You can play this chord both in its root position or an inverted variation. To invert, simply move the lowest note up an octave.
Basics
Are you looking to add some spice to your chord progressions? Learning the B minor 7th chord could be just what is necessary! One of the more frequently played bar chords, it can often be heard being featured in various songs such as those by Porcupine Tree who frequently incorporate this particular chord into their songs.
The b minor 7th chord is composed of a minor triad and minor seventh. To form this chord, simply lower both third and seventh notes by half step from their original values to produce B, D and F# notes; it also contains A as the flat 7th of B major scale.
As with other chords, b minor 7ths come in various variations. One popular version involves pressing your index finger against every string except E (low E string) while strumming five strings down from A string – this form is known as barre chord and is essential in mastering any style of music.
This chord can also be inverted for more sophisticated songs to add more texture and depth. Simply move the root note up by an octave so it becomes the lowest note in the chord instead of being at its base note position. This form of the b minor 7th can give advanced songs greater texture and depth by shifting its base note up an octave; such songs often employ this variation of it for added effect.
Not only can you choose from multiple chord forms for your b minor 7th chord, but there are also several note interval qualities available to you for use within it – these include diminished, half-diminished, minor, minor-major augmented major, major, and augmented-major interval qualities.
To help select the appropriate note interval quality for your chord, a piano diagram such as that shown below can provide helpful guidance. The first column shows note intervals found within each triad chord quality while the final column displays which chord tone/scale degree you must use.
Variations
The B minor 7th chord (Bm7 or Bm7) can often be heard in popular songs. This chord takes the standard composition of a minor chord and adds an untypical flat 7th note for an original sound that sets itself apart from other minor chords. Furthermore, its versatility means it can be played many different ways.
The most straightforward method for playing this chord is as a barre chord, which involves strumming all six strings while placing your thumb over the second fret on the bottom string and first finger over third fret on top string, respectively. Although playing such a barre chord requires extra care to avoid accidentally muzzling adjacent strings that should remain open, with practice it can become an effective means of creating chords like this one.
Suspended chords offer another approach to playing this chord: by replacing its third note with either the 2nd note of the major scale – known as suspended 2nd – or its 4th note – suspended 4th – this technique creates an entirely unique sound from regular triad chords, often used to add tension and drama in music compositions.
Add a flat seventh to the basic chord structure for a dominant 7th chord that can create strong and dramatic soundscapes that work especially well in jazz music. Combine with other chords for interesting and varied sounds.
This chord can be embellished by adding in variations such as minor 7, major 7 and diminished chords to create very distinct sounds and musical phrases.
The b minor 7th chord is an adaptable and frequently-used chord that can fit seamlessly into many musical genres and styles. As an essential addition to any guitarist’s arsenal, learning this chord should be part of their practice regiment; with practice you will quickly master this chord and start creating unique musical phrases on the fretboard!
Mistakes to Avoid
Beginners often make some basic mistakes that compromise the sound of this chord and prevent their proper learning experience. We will examine some of these errors to show how we can avoid them in future performances.
An amateur player might make the mistake of not switching up their chord forms when necessary. While it is good to get comfortable with basic forms, more complex versions may sometimes be required – for instance if playing a song which features the B minor 7th chord it would be helpful to learn variations that give this chord its own unique sound and prevent it from becoming repetitious or monotonous.
Amateurs often make the mistake of playing exclusively within one register on their guitars, which may work for some songs but often proves tedious and monotonous when performing songs that feature only B minor 7th chords. Instead, try switching up registers as you switch chord types; otherwise your playing may become monotonous very quickly!
Amateurs may struggle with correctly muting their strings when playing this chord, leading to an unpleasant shrill or brittle sound that should not occur when performing it. To overcome this obstacle, try practicing mutting your strings correctly so they do not interfere with each other and ensure your fingers do not overlap when performing this chord – this may prevent unwanted interference caused by overlapped fingers!
Amateurs may also struggle with inversions when playing this chord, which simply refers to rearrangeing its notes to make playing easier. For example, in order to play a B minor 7th chord in C key you will have to invert it so that its root note appears at its end instead of at its beginning.
Conclusions
Although a seventh chord’s basic structure resembles that of a triad, its addition of an additional pitch a seventh above its root makes it more dissonant than triadic ones and must therefore be handled carefully to produce richer harmony than would otherwise be achievable. By understanding voice-leading techniques we can achieve richer harmonies than otherwise possible.
As with triads, seventh chords may also be written with open or closed noteheads depending on the context. Utilizing Roman numerals similar to those for triads, we can label each seventh chord to identify which notes form it; for instance a Bmi7 minor seventh chord with notes B, M and I is labeled Bmi7 in this instance. Additionally, below you will find a table that lists all seven-chord qualities along with their interval short names/abbreviations across different keys – making things simpler!
This table also details the differences between each seventh chord quality and its counterpart in triad chord quality, such as diatonic seventh chord built on scale degree one (I7 in major; ii7 in minor) and their counterpart triad chord qualities based on triads. Notes in seven chords can be stacked into thirds like triads; however, each type has its own sound – for instance the diatonic seventh chord built upon it has an inherent tendency towards tonic triad resolution given that all except five tones from its component tones are present within its structure ii7 chord.
Similar to its cousin the dominant seventh chord, an augmented seventh chord can function as a dominant seventh when its tones are appropriately adjusted. To do this effectively, move 3 and 5 up their respective scale positions; see chapter 18 (see link below for full explanation) for more on this process.
An important thing to keep in mind when learning seventh chords is their unique sound compared to triadic chords; this makes them considered more advanced. Therefore, it is imperative to learn scales extensively if one wants to understand how each of these chords sounds; otherwise attempting to pick and choose certain parts may result in inconsistent or unnatural music.