Bm7 Chord on Ukulele
Bm7 = B – D – F# – A (Root, Minor 3rd, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th)
A chord is the same notes however you stack them, and which one sits at the bottom changes how it sounds. The chord builder puts each of Bm7's notes in the bass in turn, names the result, and plays it.
Hear every inversion of Bm7 →The note that turns Bm into Bm7 is A, and on the ukulele that note is sitting right there on the open A string, free for the taking. So rather than extending Bm's three-string barre, Bm7 shrinks it: the index finger only needs to cover the C and E strings at the second fret, the ring finger holds its usual reach up to the G string's fourth fret, and the A string is simply left alone to ring.
Where a plain minor triad closes a phrase off cleanly, a minor seventh chord leaves a slightly open question hanging over it — the extra note takes the sharp edge off the minor resolution without brightening the chord into major territory. Bm7 opens the classic ii-V-I cadence as the ii7 chord in A major, and shows up again as the vi7 chord in D major, standing in for a plain vi chord anywhere a song wants that softer color at no extra fingering cost. Letting the A string ring free rather than holding it under a finger gives Bm7 a more open, resonant quality than Bm's fully closed triad, since one whole voice in the chord is left completely unmuted. That open string also makes Bm7 a genuinely comfortable chord to hold for longer stretches, unlike some of the fully fretted B-family shapes that ask for sustained finger pressure across every note.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Start with the barre across the C and E strings at the second fret and confirm it rings evenly on both, then add the ring finger's reach to the G string's fourth fret, and finally check that the open A string isn't getting muffled by a finger drifting too wide in the process. Switching directly between Bm and Bm7 is the clearest way to feel what's actually happening in this shape: the barre simply gets shorter by one string, and the string it releases starts ringing open instead of staying pinned at the second fret — a subtle motion that's worth watching for rather than rushing past. Since the ring finger's fourth-fret reach is identical in both Bm and Bm7, drilling that one note in isolation, disconnected from whichever barre width happens to accompany it, is a useful way to build confidence in the stretch itself before worrying about the rest of the shape.
Common Progressions
- ii7 – V7 – I, a jazz cadence into A major (Bm7 – E7 – A)
- vi7 – IV – I, in the key of D (Bm7 – G – D)
- i7 – iv – v, treating Bm7 as its own minor tonic (Bm7 – Em – F#7)
- Bm7 substitutes cleanly for plain Bm wherever a chart wants a softer, jazzier color.
FAQ
- Why does Bm7 use an open string when Bm doesn't?
- The added seventh, A, is exactly what the ukulele's A string already plays open, so narrowing Bm's three-string barre down to two strings and letting the A string ring free supplies that note for free.
- How does Bm7 differ from plain Bm in feel?
- Bm is fully fretted with a closed, contained sound, while Bm7 rings an open string and softens the chord's edges with its added seventh, giving it a more contemplative, jazz-adjacent color.
- Where does Bm7 fit in a progression?
- As the ii7 chord in the key of A major it opens a classic ii-V-I cadence, and as the vi7 chord in D major it's a common softer substitute for a plain vi chord.
- What's the easiest way to practice the Bm-to-Bm7 change?
- Play the two chords back to back and notice that the barre simply narrows from three strings to two, releasing the A string to ring open instead of staying fretted at the second fret.
- Is Bm7 a comfortable chord to hold for a long strummed passage?
- Yes, more so than several other B-family shapes, since the open A string needs no ongoing finger pressure at all, leaving only two fingers actively working to sustain the chord through a longer held section.
- Does Bm7 appear as often as B7 in real songs?
- Less often overall, since dominant seventh chords resolve with a stronger pull that arrangers reach for constantly, while minor seventh chords like Bm7 tend to appear in more specific moody or jazz-leaning passages rather than as a default choice.
Bm7 on other instruments: Bm7 on Guitar, Bm7 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.