semicord

Bbm Bb minor chord

Notes
Bb Db F
Formula
1 b3 5
Semitones
0 3 7 above the root
Also written
A#m (A# C# E#)
Other symbols
Bbmin, Bb−

Bb to Db is a minor third (3 semitones), Db to F is a major third (4 semitones). It differs from Bb major by one note: the third, Db, is a half step lower than in Bb major.

Bbm on the piano

C4D4E4F4G4A4B4C5D5E5F5G5A5B5C#4Eb4F#4Ab4Bb4Db5Eb5F#5Ab5Bb5C4BbC5DbF

Root position from Bb4: Bb4, Db5, F5. Middle C is C4.

Bbm 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.

×BbBbFFBbBbDbDbFF
A-shape barre, root on the A string at fret 1
x 1 3 3 2 1 (low E to high e)
Sounds Bb2 F3 Bb3 Db4 F4
6frBbBbFFBbBbDbDbFFBbBb
E-shape barre, root on the E string at fret 6
6 8 8 6 6 6 (low E to high e)
Sounds Bb2 F3 Bb3 Db4 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 minor chords on other roots.

Inversions of Bbm

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.

PositionNotes, bass firstNamedListen
Root positionBb Db FBbm
1st inversionDb F BbBbm/Db
2nd inversionF Bb DbBbm/F

Where Bbm fits

Bbm is ii in Ab major, iii in Gb major, vi in Db major, i in Bb minor, iv in F minor, v in Eb minor.