Bb Bb major chord
- Notes
- Bb D F
- Formula
- 1 3 5
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 above the root
- Also written
- A# (A# C## E#)
- Other symbols
- BbM, Bbmaj
Bb to D is a major third (4 semitones), D to F is a minor third (3 semitones). The major triad: a major third with a minor third on top, the tonic chord of the key of Bb major.
Bb on the piano
Root position from Bb4: Bb4, D5, F5. Middle C is C4.
Bb 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 3 3 3 1 (low E to high e)
Sounds Bb2 F3 Bb3 D4 F4
6 8 8 7 6 6 (low E to high e)
Sounds Bb2 F3 Bb3 D4 F4 Bb4
The barre shapes 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 chords on other roots.
Inversions of Bb
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 | Bb | |
| 1st inversion | D F Bb | Bb/D | |
| 2nd inversion | F Bb D | Bb/F |
Where Bb fits
Bb is I in Bb major, IV in F major, V in Eb major, V in Eb minor. As V in a minor key it comes from the harmonic minor scale, whose raised seventh degree is this chord's third, D.