Bbm7 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - i - m - a - m - i · Smooth Bossa (2/4 · 6 notes · Level 2)
From the bass on the 5th to the 1st string there are 4 different notes. Six plucks give time to hear them. All 6 arpeggios
Subtle syncopation and oscillating timbre.
Bbm7 is built from Bb, Db, F and Ab. Bb is the root, Db the minor third, F the fifth and Ab the minor seventh. Said aloud, its notes are B flat, D flat, F and A flat.
String by string, low to high, it plays Bb, F, Ab, Db and F. F appears twice in the main shape, and it is the chord's fifth. It runs from Bb on string 5 up to F on string 1.
You play Bbm7 with a barre at fret 1. Avoid string 6. Your hand covers three frets, from 1 to 3. There is one more position, starting at fret 6.
Change only string 3 in Bbm7 and you have Bbm. Inside Bbm7 sits a complete Db chord, made of Db, F and Ab. Fm shares three positions with this shape. A#m7 is the same chord under another name.
Bbm7 shows up in five keys. In Db major it is the vi, in Ab major the ii and in Gb major the iii. The rest appear in the key list.
Bb 1Db ♭3F 5Ab ♭7
Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 1 (Bb)
String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted
Placement tip: Barre fret 1. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 3, 2nd String (B) at fret 2. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Barre fret 6. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 8.
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 1 to 3 |
| Barre | fret 1, from the 5th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 3 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | 6th |
At fret 1, only the barre sounds the 5th, 3rd, and 1st strings.
Listen: Bbm7 → Bbm · Fm · F
Bbm7 sits in the scale of 5 keys.
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the Bbm7 chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.
The primary bass note of the Bbm7 chord is its root note: Bb. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 1.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The Bbm7 chord is constructed using the 1 - ♭3 - 5 - ♭7 formula (Minor Seventh). Its constituent pitches are Bb, Db, F, Ab.
To prevent fret buzz on the Bbm7 barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
Thanks for studying with CifraLab
If this chord helped you, support us with a coffee on Ko-fi.
