Guitar chords · Minor
B♭m chord on guitar (Bbm)
B♭m (B♭ minor) 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♭m
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♭m 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♭m minor
A minor chord lowers the 3rd of the major chord by a The smallest distance in Western music: one fret on the guitar, such as E to F or F to F♯.. That one note gives it its darker, sadder colour.
- 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♭m a minor chord; you can leave out the 5th.
- B♭Rroot
- D♭♭3essential
- F5optional
- B♭, the root
- Other chord tones
B♭m and A♯m 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♭m
B♭m belongs to six keys: G♭ major (iii), D♭ major (vi), A♭ major (ii), E♭ minor (v), B♭ minor (i) and F minor (iv).
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♭m
Common progressions that use B♭m, each in a key that spells it B♭m. The outlined chord is B♭m.
The pop axis in D♭ major
I – V – vi – IV
- D♭
- A♭
- B♭m
- G♭
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
'50s doo-wop in D♭ major
I – vi – IV – V
- D♭
- B♭m
- G♭
- A♭
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 B♭ minor
i – VI – III – VII
- B♭m
- G♭
- D♭
- A♭
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Andalusian cadence in B♭ minor
i – VII – VI – V
- B♭m
- A♭
- G♭
- F
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♭m 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♭m on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.
- B♭m/D♭
B♭m with its ♭3rd, D♭, in the bass: the first inversion.
- B♭m/F
B♭m with its 5th, F, in the bass: the second inversion.
- B♭m/A♭
B♭m 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♭m, B♭m/A♭, B♭m/G, G♭.
- B♭m/G
B♭m over G, a passing bass a major 6th above the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in B♭m, B♭m/A♭, B♭m/G, G♭.
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♭ major
- 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♭m, in short
- What notes are in the B♭m chord?
- B♭m (B♭ minor) 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♭m on guitar?
- B♭m 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♭m in?
- B♭m belongs to six keys: G♭ major (iii), D♭ major (vi), A♭ major (ii), E♭ minor (v), B♭ minor (i) and F minor (iv).
- Is B♭m the same as A♯m?
- Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. B♭m is the spelling in G♭ major, D♭ major, A♭ major, E♭ minor, B♭ minor and F minor; A♯m only in F♯ major, C♯ major, D♯ minor and A♯ minor.