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Guitar chords · Minor 9th

B♭m9 chord on guitar (Bbm9)

B♭m9 (B♭ minor 9th) has five notes: B♭, D♭, F, A♭ and C, the , ♭3, 5, ♭7 and 9.

Shapes

How to play B♭m9

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

B♭m9 has no common . Play it as the E shape at 6 or the A shape at fret 13. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • E shape · fret 6

    6fr×R♭7♭359B♭A♭D♭FC
  • A shape · fret 13

    11fr××R♭3♭79B♭D♭A♭C
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes B♭m9 minor 9th

A minor 9th chord adds the 9th to a minor . It sounds smooth and moody, the sound of neo-soul, R&B and jazz ballads. Keep the ♭3rd, the ♭7th and the 9th; the 5th can go.

  • 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, the ♭7th and the 9th make B♭m9 a minor 9th chord; you can leave out the 5th.

  1. B♭Rroot
  2. D♭♭3essential
  3. F5optional
  4. A♭♭7essential
  5. C9essential
EADGBE0135791215B♭B♭B♭B♭B♭B♭B♭B♭FA♭CD♭FCD♭FA♭CFA♭CD♭FA♭CD♭FA♭CD♭FA♭CD♭FA♭CD♭F
  • B♭, the root
  • Other chord tones

B♭m9 often leads to E♭7 and then A♭: the ii9–V7–I of A♭ major.

B♭m9 and A♯m9 are the same chord with two names: same , same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.

Keys

Keys with B♭m9

B♭m9 belongs to four keys: D♭ major (vi9), A♭ major (ii9), B♭ minor (i9) and F minor (iv9).

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

Slash chords

B♭m9 over another bass note

A keeps B♭m9 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • B♭m9/D♭

    B♭m9 with its ♭3rd, D♭, in the bass.

  • B♭m9/F

    B♭m9 with its 5th, F, in the bass.

  • B♭m9/A♭

    B♭m9 with its ♭7th, A♭, in the bass.

Questions

B♭m9, in short

What notes are in the B♭m9 chord?
B♭m9 (B♭ minor 9th) has five notes: B♭, D♭, F, A♭ and C, the , ♭3, 5, ♭7 and 9.
How do you play B♭m9 on guitar?
B♭m9 has no common . Play it as the E shape at 6 or the A shape at fret 13.
What key is B♭m9 in?
B♭m9 belongs to four keys: D♭ major (vi9), A♭ major (ii9), B♭ minor (i9) and F minor (iv9).
Is B♭m9 the same as A♯m9?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. B♭m9 is the spelling in D♭ major, A♭ major, B♭ minor and F minor; A♯m9 only in C♯ major and A♯ minor, which most players write as D♭ major and B♭ minor.
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