Tools / Chords / B♭ 6th add 9

B♭ 6th add 9 chord on guitar (B♭6/9)

Also written B♭6/9, B♭6add9 or B♭ 6th Add 9th

B♭ 6th add 9 is built from B♭, D, F, G, and C. The open position uses only three fretted notes but demands clean muting of the low E string.

Open×-1-0-0-1-1

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

B♭1Root

D3Major 3rd

F5Perfect 5th

G6Major 6th

C99th

Formula 1, 3, 5, 6, 9

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionB♭–D–F–G–CB♭6/9Bass B♭

First inversionD–F–G–C–B♭B♭6/9/DBass D

Second inversionF–G–C–B♭–DB♭6/9/FBass F

Third inversionG–C–B♭–D–FB♭6/9/GBass G

Fourth inversionC–B♭–D–F–GB♭6/9/CBass C

Why it sounds like that

B♭ 6th add 9 combines a major triad with a major sixth and a major ninth: 1, 3, 5, 6, 9. The sixth adds a mellow, jazzy color compared to a plain B♭ 6th. The ninth, C, gives it a floating, unresolved quality.

What goes wrong with B♭ 6th add 9?

The low E string rings out, adding an E that is not part of B♭ 6th add 9.
The middle finger touches the open G string, muting it.
The ring finger fails to press the high e string at fret 1, losing the ninth.

When to use it

B♭ 6th add 9 is the tonic in B♭ major, fitting the I–IV–V–I progression B♭–E♭–F–B♭. It also works in the I–V–vi–IV loop B♭–F–G minor–E♭. Use it in jazz ballads, bossa nova, and mellow pop.

Changing to and from B♭ 6th add 9

From B♭ major, lift the ring finger and move the index finger to the 5th string, 1st fret while adding the middle finger on the 2nd string, 1st fret.

Which voicing to use

The open position has B♭ in the bass and is the easiest voicing. The B♭6add9/D inversion at the 5th fret puts D in the bass, which gives a warmer, less grounded sound. The 12th fret version keeps B♭ in the bass but is higher and brighter.

How do you play a B♭ 6th add 9 chord on guitar?

Open

Beginner● On the diagram

B♭ 6th add 9 is played in open position as × 1 0 0 1 1: index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the B string at fret 1 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D and G strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.

Tip — The low E string must be muted while the other five strings ring, and the three fretted notes sit close together at the 1st fret.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	1	1	B♭ (1)
4 (D)	open	—	D (3)
3 (G)	open	—	G (6)
2 (B)	1	2	C (9)
1 (e)	1	3	F (5)

5th fret

Barre

B♭ 6th add 9 is played at the 5th fret as 6 5 5 5 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 5, middle finger on the low E string at fret 6, ring finger on the B string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 6.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	6	2	B♭ (1)
5 (A)	5	1 (barre)	D (3)
4 (D)	5	1 (barre)	G (6)
3 (G)	5	1 (barre)	C (9)
2 (B)	6	3	F (5)
1 (e)	6	4	B♭ (1)

12th fret

Barre

B♭ 6th add 9 is played at the 12th fret as × 13 12 12 13 13: barre your index finger across fret 12, middle finger on the A string at fret 13, ring finger on the B string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 13. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	13	2	B♭ (1)
4 (D)	12	1 (barre)	D (3)
3 (G)	12	1 (barre)	G (6)
2 (B)	13	3	C (9)
1 (e)	13	4	F (5)

B♭6add9/D inversion · fret 5

Barre

B♭ 6th add 9 is played at the 5th fret as × 5 5 5 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 5, ring finger on the B string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 6. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	5	1 (barre)	D (3)
4 (D)	5	1 (barre)	G (6)
3 (G)	5	1 (barre)	C (9)
2 (B)	6	3	F (5)
1 (e)	6	4	B♭ (1)

B♭6add9/D inversion · fret 8

Barre

B♭ 6th add 9 is played at the 8th fret as 10 8 8 10 8 8: barre your index finger across fret 8, ring finger on the low E string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 10.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	10	3	D (3)
5 (A)	8	1 (barre)	F (5)
4 (D)	8	1 (barre)	B♭ (1)
3 (G)	10	4	F (5)
2 (B)	8	1 (barre)	G (6)
1 (e)	8	1 (barre)	C (9)

Common questions

How is B♭ 6th add 9 written?

B♭ 6th add 9 is written B♭6/9 or B♭6add9. The ASCII root is Bb. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.

Why is the low E string muted?

The open low E is not a chord tone of B♭ 6th add 9. Muting it keeps the B♭ on the 5th string as the lowest note. This preserves the intended bass and voicing.

What is the difference between B♭ 6th add 9 and B♭ 6th?

B♭ 6th add 9 adds the ninth, C, to the B♭ 6th chord. The ninth creates a softer, more colorful sound. B♭ 6th is often used in swing, while B♭ 6th add 9 suits jazz ballads.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

B♭ (1)

4 (D)

open

—

D (3)

3 (G)

open

—

G (6)

2 (B)

C (9)

1 (e)

F (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

B♭ (1)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

D (3)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

G (6)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

C (9)

2 (B)

F (5)

1 (e)

B♭ (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

B♭ (1)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

D (3)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

G (6)

2 (B)

C (9)

1 (e)

F (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

1 (barre)

D (3)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

G (6)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

C (9)

2 (B)

F (5)

1 (e)

B♭ (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

D (3)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

F (5)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

B♭ (1)

3 (G)

F (5)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

G (6)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

C (9)