Chord Notation - Refresh My Memory

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Chili

Chili

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Can't seem to find this with Google.

Bb7 is a B-flat seventh. Bb, D, F, Ab

Bb-7 Is this a B-flat minor seventh?? Bb, Db, F, Ab... is that correct? I think the little dash means 'minor', right? It's not a flatted seventh, is it?
 
Usually it will be a small m for minor, such as Bb7m. A dash in a chord notation doesn't ring any bells for me to mean anything musically. Just a separater between the letters and number in this case maybe.

*shrug*
 
Yeah I think they're just using a dash between the Bb and the 7. It is likely the same as Bb7. The minor would be Bbm7. It can't mean a flatted seventh because the 7th is already flattened in a dominant 7 chord, so that would make it a double flat chord. Double flat chords get two flat signs not a minus sign.

Augmented chords get a + sign. So Bb+ would be augmented. But I never saw a minus sign or dash used for a diminished chord...(those are small circles). So, I think this chord is just Bb7 and the author used an unorthodox tablature character.
 
Thanks Guys. This is the song I'm finding the notation in. I hope the image shows up okay. You can find the two chords right in the first line. A Bb7, then a Bb-7.

Mas Que Nada.webp
 
Oooh, that's jazz notation. Yeah I think in jazz notation that is a minor 7th chord.

Bb, Db, F, Ab... is that correct?
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Yes, those are the notes in a Bbm7
 
Awesome. So I'm not going crazy, the dash means minor. Thanks!!! :)
 
It's not that common a notation style, but in this case it's definitely the minor chord when it says "-". You see it quite a bit in fake book style jazz. Good advice from the people above.
 
No problem, Chilli. This thread makes me realize: I wish we had a music theory section on the forum.
 
easlern said:
That's cool, how do you know what chords fit nola?
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Hey Easlern. I studied music theory for many years since I was a kid. In college I was a music major briefly but didn't like it so most of that was on my own doing self-study.
 
Nola said:
No problem, Chilli. This thread makes me realize: I wish we had a music theory section on the forum.
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That's kinda what this section is for. It is supposed to be more than just lyrics. If we had a section solely for Music Theory, it would not get much activity.

Hey Easlern. I studied music theory for many years since I was a kid.
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I took a year of theory and composition in high school. That's probably when I last heard of the dash annotating a minor chord. lol
 
Huh. If I'd been handed that piece of music I would assume that Bb7 followed immediately by Bb-7 means drop the 7 from the chord (sort of the chord equivalent of a natural sign)
 
VomitHatSteve said:
Huh. If I'd been handed that piece of music I would assume that Bb7 followed immediately by Bb-7 means drop the 7 from the chord (sort of the chord equivalent of a natural sign)
Click to expand...

Funny! Why not just write Bb, though? :)
 
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