Bbmaj9 Bb major ninth chord
- Notes
- Bb D F A C
- Formula
- 1 3 5 7 9
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 11 14 above the root
- Also written
- A#maj9 (A# C## E# G## B#)
- Other symbols
- BbM9, BbΔ9
Bb to D is a major third (4 semitones), D to F is a minor third (3 semitones), F to A is a major third (4 semitones), A to C is a minor third (3 semitones). A major seventh (Bbmaj7) with the ninth, C, on top. The fifth, F, is often left out on guitar.
Bbmaj9 on the piano
Root position from Bb4: Bb4, D5, F5, A5, C6. Middle C is C4.
Bbmaj9 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.
x 1 0 2 1 x (low E to high e)
Sounds Bb2 D3 A3 C4, fifth left out
6 5 7 5 6 x (low E to high e)
Sounds Bb2 D3 A3 C4 F4
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 major ninth chords on other roots.
Inversions of Bbmaj9
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 D F A C | Bbmaj9 | |
| 1st inversion | D F A C Bb | Bbmaj9/D | |
| 2nd inversion | F A C Bb D | Bbmaj9/F | |
| 3rd inversion | A C Bb D F | Bbmaj9/A | |
| 4th inversion | C Bb D F A | Bbmaj9/C |
Where Bbmaj9 fits
Bbmaj9 is Imaj9 in Bb major, IVmaj9 in F major. Its upper four notes D F A C are Dm7: play that chord over a Bb bass and you have Bbmaj9.