Bbm9 Bb minor ninth chord
- Notes
- Bb Db F Ab C
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 b7 9
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 10 14 above the root
- Also written
- A#m9 (A# C# E# G# B#)
- Other symbols
- Bbmin9, Bb−9
Bb to Db is a minor third (3 semitones), Db to F is a major third (4 semitones), F to Ab is a minor third (3 semitones), Ab to C is a major third (4 semitones). A minor seventh (Bbm7) with a major ninth on top: C, 14 semitones above Bb. The fifth, F, is the note players drop first.
Bbm9 on the piano
Root position from Bb4: Bb4, Db5, F5, Ab5, C6. Middle C is C4.
Bbm9 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has Bb as its lowest note.
6 8 6 6 6 8 (low E to high e)
Sounds Bb2 F3 Ab3 Db4 F4 C5
x 13 11 13 13 13 (low E to high e)
Sounds Bb3 Db4 Ab4 C5 F5
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play minor ninth chords on other roots.
Inversions of Bbm9
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | Bb Db F Ab C | Bbm9 | |
| 1st inversion | Db F Ab C Bb | Bbm9/Db | |
| 2nd inversion | F Ab C Bb Db | Bbm9/F | |
| 3rd inversion | Ab C Bb Db F | Bbm9/Ab | |
| 4th inversion | C Bb Db F Ab | Bbm7/C (also read as Bbm9/C) |
Where Bbm9 fits
Bbm9 is ii9 in Ab major, vi9 in Db major, i9 in Bb minor. Its upper four notes Db F Ab C are Dbmaj7, the usual rootless voicing of Bbm9 over a Bb bass.