Guitar chords · Major
B♭ chord on guitar (Bb)
B♭ (B♭ major) has three notes: B♭, D and F, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., 3 and 5.
Shapes
How to play B♭
Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.; the other numbers are the chord tones.
B♭ has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 1 or the E shape at fret 6. A A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major. keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., on the lowest played string, names the chord.
A shape · fret 1
E shape · fret 6
Notes and formula
What makes B♭ major
A major chord stacks a major 3rd and a perfect 5th on the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.. It is the bright, settled sound most songs start and end on.
- 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
- 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
- 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.
The 3rd makes B♭ a major chord; you can leave out the 5th.
- B♭Rroot
- D3essential
- F5optional
- B♭, the root
- Other chord tones
B♭ and A♯ are the same chord with two names: same The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step., same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.
Keys
Keys with B♭
B♭ belongs to seven keys: E♭ major (V), B♭ major (I), F major (IV), E♭ minor (V, The natural minor scale with its 7th raised a half step, which makes the V chord major and gives it a strong pull home.), C minor (VII), G minor (III) and D minor (VI).
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Progressions
Progressions with B♭
Common progressions that use B♭, each in a key that spells it B♭. The outlined chord is B♭.
The pop axis in B♭ major
I – V – vi – IV
- B♭
- F
- Gm
- E♭
Four chords that carry a huge share of modern pop. All four sit next to each other on the circle.
Heard in Let It Be, No Woman No Cry, With or Without You
Three-chord rock in B♭ major
I – IV – V – IV
- B♭
- E♭
- F
- E♭
Tonic, subdominant, dominant: the key and its two neighbours on the outer ring.
Heard in La Bamba, Twist and Shout, Wild Thing
'50s doo-wop in B♭ major
I – vi – IV – V
- B♭
- Gm
- E♭
- F
The vi chord softens the move from I to IV before the V pulls back home.
Heard in Stand by Me, Every Breath You Take
Minor pop in D minor
i – VI – III – VII
- Dm
- B♭
- F
- C
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Andalusian cadence in D minor
i – VII – VI – V
- Dm
- C
- B♭
- A
A stepwise walk down to a major V borrowed from harmonic minor. Flamenco's signature move.
Heard in Hit the Road Jack, Runaway, Stray Cat Strut
Slash chords
B♭ over another bass note
A A chord with a different note in the bass, written after a slash: C/E is a C chord with E as its lowest note. The letter after the slash is the bass. keeps B♭ on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.
- B♭/D
B♭ with its 3rd, D, in the bass: the first inversion.
- B♭/F
B♭ with its 5th, F, in the bass: the second inversion.
- B♭/A
B♭ over A, a passing bass a The smallest distance in Western music: one fret on the guitar, such as E to F or F to F♯. below the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in B♭, B♭/A, Gm.
- B♭/A♭
B♭ over A♭, a passing bass a Two half steps, or two frets on the guitar, such as C to D. below the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in B♭, B♭/A♭, E♭.
Same root
Other chords on A♯ / B♭
Change one or two notes and the same The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. gives a different colour. Compare them by ear.
- B♭m minor
- B♭7 dominant 7th
- B♭maj7 major 7th
- B♭m7 minor 7th
- B♭sus2 suspended 2nd
- B♭sus4 suspended 4th
- B♭6 major 6th
- B♭m6 minor 6th
- B♭add9 add 9
- B♭9 dominant 9th
- B♭maj9 major 9th
- B♭m9 minor 9th
- B♭13 dominant 13th
- B♭maj13 major 13th
- B♭m11 minor 11th
- A♯° diminished
- A♯m7♭5 half-diminished 7th
- A♯°7 diminished 7th
- B♭+ augmented
- B♭5 power chord
- B♭7sus4 dominant 7th suspended 4th
- B♭m(maj7) minor major 7th
- B♭6/9 six-nine
- B♭m(add9) minor add 9
- B♭7♯9 dominant 7th sharp 9th
Questions
B♭, in short
- What notes are in the B♭ chord?
- B♭ (B♭ major) has three notes: B♭, D and F, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., 3 and 5.
- How do you play B♭ on guitar?
- B♭ has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 1 or the E shape at fret 6.
- What key is B♭ in?
- B♭ belongs to seven keys: E♭ major (V), B♭ major (I), F major (IV), E♭ minor (V, The natural minor scale with its 7th raised a half step, which makes the V chord major and gives it a strong pull home.), C minor (VII), G minor (III) and D minor (VI).
- Is B♭ the same as A♯?
- Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. B♭ is the spelling in E♭ major, B♭ major, F major, E♭ minor, C minor, G minor and D minor; A♯ only in D♯ minor.