Bm7, the B minor 7 guitar chord
Bm7 is the open Am7 grip moved up two frets: the index barres five strings at the 2nd fret and the low E stays out of the strum. It is Bm with the pinky lifted off the G string, so that string now rings under the barre alone. The lift takes the weight out of the chord. Where Bm pulls a song down, Bm7 just leans, and songs in D and A use it constantly. The G string is the note that makes it a seventh, so pick it by itself before you strum.
How to play it
- Index finger flattened across the A string (5th), G string (3rd) and high E string (1st), 2nd fret.
- Middle finger on the B string (2nd), 3rd fret.
- Ring finger on the D string (4th), 4th fret.
- Don't strum the low E string (6th). It stays silent in this shape.
Changes to practice
Holding Bm7 still is the easy part. Songs need you to arrive at it in rhythm, so in Strumhold you practice Bm7 as changes, alongside the rest of the Barre Minor 7ths set:
- Bm7 ↔ G♯m7 B minor 7 to G♯ minor 7 Drill
- Bm7 ↔ C♯m7 B minor 7 to C♯ minor 7 Drill
- Bm7 ↔ Fm7 B minor 7 to F minor 7 Drill
- Bm7 ↔ F♯m7 B minor 7 to F♯ minor 7 Drill
- Bm7 ↔ B♭m7 B minor 7 to B♭ minor 7 Drill
- Bm7 ↔ E♭m7 B minor 7 to E♭ minor 7 Drill