Tools / Chords / B♭ 6th

B♭ 6th chord on guitar (B♭6)

Also written B♭6 or B♭

B♭ 6th contains B♭, D, F and G. The open shape uses three fretted notes and two open strings, so the left hand stretches across four frets.

Open · ×-1-0-0-3-1×-1-0-0-3-1

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

B♭1Root

D3Major 3rd

F5Perfect 5th

G6Major 6th

Formula 1, 3, 5, 6

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

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

Root positionB♭–D–F–GB♭6Bass B♭

First inversionD–F–G–B♭B♭6/DBass D

Second inversionF–G–B♭–DB♭6/FBass F

Third inversionG–B♭–D–FB♭6/GBass G

Why it sounds like that

B♭ 6th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 6. The major sixth G added to the B♭ major triad creates a warm, jazzy colour. Compare it with B♭ major, which has only three notes.

What goes wrong with B♭ 6th?

Letting the low E string ring: mute it with the thumb, or the open E clashes with the chord.
Flattening the middle finger onto the high e string and deadening it.
Pressing the ring finger too hard on the B string and pulling it sharp.

When to use it

B♭ 6th is the tonic in B♭ major, heard in the I–IV–V–I progression B♭–E♭–F–B♭. Its open-string resonance suits folk and acoustic strumming. Use it to add colour to a B♭ major chord in a ballad.

Changing to and from B♭ 6th

Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives B 6th; the open D and G strings become fretted notes, so the hand must adjust.

Which voicing to use

The open shape keeps the root B♭ in the bass and is the easiest to play. The 5th fret barre shape offers a fuller sound with the root on the A string, useful for moving between positions.

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

Open · ×-1-0-0-3-1

Beginner● On the diagram

B♭ 6th is played in open position as × 1 0 0 3 1: index finger on the A string at fret 1, ring finger on the B string at fret 3 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D and G strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.

Tip — The open shape requires a four-fret stretch between the index on the 1st fret A string and the ring on the 3rd fret B string while muting the low E.

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)	3	3	D (3)
1 (e)	1	2	F (5)

Open · ×-1-3-0-3-1

Beginner

B♭ 6th is played in open position as × 1 3 0 3 1: index finger on the A string at fret 1, ring finger on the D string at fret 3, pinky finger on the B string at fret 3 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 1. The G string rings open. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

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

Open · ×-1-3-0-3-3

Beginner

B♭ 6th is played in open position as × 1 3 0 3 3: index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the D string at fret 3, ring finger on the B string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The G string rings open. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

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

5th fret

Barre

B♭ 6th is played at the 5th fret as 6 5 5 7 6 ×: barre your index finger across fret 5, middle finger on the low E string at fret 6, pinky finger on the G string at fret 7 and ring finger on the B string at fret 6. The high e string stays muted.

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)	7	4	D (3)
2 (B)	6	3	F (5)
1 (e)	muted	—	—

8th fret

Intermediate

B♭ 6th is played at the 8th fret as × × 8 10 8 10: index finger on the D string at fret 8, ring finger on the G string at fret 10, middle finger on the B string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 10. The low E and A strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

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

Common questions

How is B♭ 6th written?

The symbol B♭6 is the most common spelling, and the ASCII root is Bb. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.

Can I play B♭ 6th without muting the low E string?

No, the open low E is not a chord tone, so it must be muted. Otherwise the chord sounds muddy and the bass note is wrong.

What is the difference between B♭ 6th and B♭ major 7th?

B♭ 6th adds the sixth G, while B♭ major 7th adds the seventh A. The sixth gives a more consonant, folk-like sound than the seventh.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

B♭ (1)

4 (D)

open

—

D (3)

3 (G)

open

—

G (6)

2 (B)

D (3)

1 (e)

F (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

B♭ (1)

4 (D)

F (5)

3 (G)

open

—

G (6)

2 (B)

D (3)

1 (e)

F (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

B♭ (1)

4 (D)

F (5)

3 (G)

open

—

G (6)

2 (B)

D (3)

1 (e)

G (6)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

B♭ (1)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

D (3)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

G (6)

3 (G)

D (3)

2 (B)

F (5)

1 (e)

muted

—

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

muted

—

4 (D)

B♭ (1)

3 (G)

F (5)

2 (B)

G (6)

1 (e)

D (3)