B♭ minor 7 chordB♭m7

Built from

• B♭root
• D♭minor 3rd
• F5th
• A♭flat 7th

The flat 7th softens the minor 3rd, so the sadness turns into something relaxed.

Hear it in a progression

• Epic minor

  Film scores and stadium anthems. In B♭ minor.

  Capo and transpose

  1. B♭m7i
  2. G♭VI
  3. D♭III
  4. A♭VII

• Minor cadence

  Dark, then a strong pull home. In B♭ minor.

  Capo and transpose

  1. B♭m7i
  2. E♭miv
  3. F7V7
  4. B♭m7i

• Andalusian cadence

  Flamenco and surf rock, stepping down. In B♭ minor.

  Capo and transpose

  1. B♭m7i
  2. A♭VII
  3. G♭VI
  4. FV

Where it goes next

Thinking in B♭ minor, where it is the i7 chord.

• G♭maj7

  VImaj7. Opens up into something bittersweet.

• E♭m7

  iv7. Goes darker still.

• A♭7

  VII7. Steps down: a rock and folk staple.

• D♭maj7

  IIImaj7. Brightens into the relative major.

Sounds close

• D♭maj7

  Relative major 7: same notes but one. Both have D♭, F and A♭.

• D♭

  Contains its relative major whole. Both have D♭, F and A♭.

• D♭7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have D♭, F and A♭.

• G♭maj7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have B♭, D♭ and F.

Scales that fit

Notes you can play over this chord, simplest first.

• B♭ minor
• B♭ minor pentatonic
• B♭ blues
• B♭ dorian

Keys it lives in

• B♭ minoras i7
• E♭ minoras v7
• F minoras iv7
• D♭ majoras vi7
• A♭ majoras ii7
• F♯ majoras iii7