Chords in every key · 5 flats
Chords in the key of B♭ minor
The seven chords in B♭ minor are B♭m, C°, D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭ and A♭. B♭ minor has five flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭.
The seven chords
Play the chords of B♭ minor
Tap a chord to hear it. The A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. is its place in the key; the colour is its job: home, moving away, or pulling back home.
None of the chords in B♭ minor has an A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em., so you play them as A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck., or put a A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. on and use open shapes from an easier key.
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
Key signature and scale
The B♭ minor scale
B♭ minor has five flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭.
- B♭1
- C2
- D♭♭3
- E♭4
- F5
- G♭♭6
- A♭♭7
- B♭, the tonic
- Other scale notes
Progressions
Common chord progressions in B♭ minor
The same patterns of A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. turn up in thousands of songs. Here they are in this key, ready to play.
Minor pop
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
Minor pop in every keyAndalusian cadence
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
Andalusian cadence in every keyMinor ii–V–i
iiø7 – V7 – i7
- Cm7♭5
- F7
- B♭m7
Half-diminished ii, dominant V7 and back to the minor tonic.
Heard in Blue Bossa, Autumn Leaves
Minor ii–V–i in every key
Related keys
Keys close to B♭ minor
Keys that share most of their notes sound natural side by side, which is why songs so often move between them.
- Relative major: same notesD♭ majorD♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭, A♭, B♭m and C°
- Parallel major: same tonicB♭ majorB♭, Cm, Dm, E♭, F, Gm and A°
- One step anticlockwiseE♭ minorE♭m, F°, G♭, A♭m, B♭m, C♭ and D♭
- One step clockwiseF minorFm, G°, A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭ and E♭
Capo
Play B♭ minor with a capo
B♭ minor's main chords are B♭m, E♭m, Fm and G♭. With the A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. on The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 1, play them as Am, Dm, Em and F: three of the four are A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em..
- Capo 1Am Dm Em FA minor shapes · 3 of 4 openOpen in the capo tool
- Capo 6Em Am Bm CE minor shapes · 3 of 4 openOpen in the capo tool
Two spellings
B♭ minor and A♯ minor
B♭ minor has five flats, A♯ minor seven sharps. Most players read B♭ minor, because it needs fewer A sharp (♯), flat (♭) or natural sign that raises, lowers or restores a note..
B♭ minor
5 flats
B♭m, C°, D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭ and A♭
A♯ minor
7 sharps
A♯m, B♯°, C♯, D♯m, E♯m, F♯ and G♯
Both sound exactly the same and use the same The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step.. The spelling only matters when you read or write the music: each letter appears once in a key, so the notes keep the names the key gives them. See the chords in A♯ minor.
Questions
B♭ minor, in short
- What chords are in the key of B♭ minor?
- The seven chords in B♭ minor are B♭m, C°, D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭ and A♭. B♭ minor has five flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭.
- What is the relative major of B♭ minor?
- D♭ major. It uses the same seven notes and the same The sharps or flats written at the start of each line of music, telling you which notes the key changes. as B♭ minor, so the two keys share all their chords.
- How many flats are in B♭ minor?
- B♭ minor has five flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭.
- Which keys are next to B♭ minor on the circle of fifths?
- E♭ minor (one step anticlockwise) and F minor (one step clockwise). Their chords overlap most with B♭ minor's, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.
- Is B♭ minor the same as A♯ minor?
- They sound the same: every note and chord is played on the same The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step.. Only the spelling differs. B♭ minor has five flats, A♯ minor seven sharps. Most players read B♭ minor, because it needs fewer A sharp (♯), flat (♭) or natural sign that raises, lowers or restores a note..