Also written B♭m or B♭min
B♭ minor contains B♭, D♭, and F. The 6th fret shape spans four frets and suits intermediate players.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
B♭ minor is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5. The minor 3rd between B♭ and D♭ gives the chord its quality. Compare with B♭ major, where the 3rd is raised a semitone.
B♭ minor suits rock and pop lines that need a darker minor color. Pair it with F♯ major for a strong subdominant movement.
The 6th fret position puts B♭ in the bass for a solid root feel. The B♭min/F inversion at ×-8-8-6 places F in the bass, useful for stepwise bass lines.
B♭ minor is played at the 6th fret as 6 8 8 6: index finger on the E string at fret 6, ring finger on the A string at fret 8, pinky finger on the D string at fret 8 and middle finger on the G string at fret 6.
Tip — The stretch between index on fret 6 and pinky on fret 8 requires finger independence.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (A) | 8 | 3 | F (5) |
| 2 (D) | 8 | 4 | B♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 6 | 2 | D♭ (♭3) |
B♭ minor is played at the 8th fret as 9 8 8 10: ring finger on the E string at fret 9, index finger on the A string at fret 8, middle finger on the D string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 10.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 9 | 3 | D♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (A) | 8 | 1 | F (5) |
| 2 (D) | 8 | 2 | B♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 10 | 4 | F (5) |
B♭ minor is played at the 6th fret as × 8 8 6: middle finger on the A string at fret 8, ring finger on the D string at fret 8 and index finger on the G string at fret 6. The E string stays muted.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (A) | 8 | 2 | F (5) |
| 2 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 6 | 1 | D♭ (♭3) |
B♭ minor is played at the 11th fret as 13 13 11 ×: middle finger on the E string at fret 13, ring finger on the A string at fret 13 and index finger on the D string at fret 11. The G string stays muted.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 13 | 2 | F (5) |
| 3 (A) | 13 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 11 | 1 | D♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (G) | muted | — | — |
B♭ minor is written as B♭m, B♭min, B♭−, or B♭mi. The ASCII root is Bb, so you may see Bbm. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
B♭ minor has a D♭, while B♭ major has a D natural. The minor 3rd makes the chord sound darker.
The default position does not require a barre. Each finger frets a separate string.