Voicings · Bm7 · Guitar
Bm7 is spelled B – D – F♯ – A (1 ♭3 5 ♭7) — the ii chord in a major ii–V–I, and minor-key tonics. Here are 5 ways to voice it on guitar: drop 2, drop 3, shell, rootless a, rootless b. Every diagram is playable — press play to hear the chord, or “roll it” to hear the voices one by one, low to high.
The voicings
Take the close voicing and drop its second-highest voice an octave. The most-used four-note voicing on guitar and in piano left hands. Strings D-G-B-e, frets 4-4-3-5 (position 1).
Drop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings A-G-B-e, frets 5-4-7-5 (position 3).
Root, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings A-G-B, frets 2-2-3.
Bill Evans-style left-hand voicing: the third on the bottom, the ninth on top, the bass player supplies the root. Strings A-D-G-B, frets 5-4-2-2 (position 1).
The companion rootless voicing with the seventh on the bottom. Alternate A and B so the top voice moves by step through a ii–V–I. Strings E-A-B-e, frets 5-4-3-2 (position 1).
Reference
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | unison |
| ♭3 | D | minor 3rd |
| 5 | F♯ | perfect 5th |
| ♭7 | A | minor 7th |
Arpeggio: Bm7 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: B Dorian.
Common questions
B, D, F♯, A — chord tones 1 ♭3 5 ♭7. Rootless voicings add the 9th, C♯, and leave the root to the bass.
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings A, G, B: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like Bm7.
Start from the close voicing B D F♯ A and drop the second note from the top an octave: F♯ – B – D – A. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
Bm7 is the ii chord in a major ii–V–I, and minor-key tonics. Its character is soft, warm, unresolved.
Keep going
Same chord on piano · Minor 7th hub.
Other chords from B