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B♭ add 9 chord on guitar (B♭add9)
Also called or written B♭add9, B♭ or B♭ Add 9th
B♭ add 9 is built from B♭, D, F and C. The open position uses five strings and mutes only the low E.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 9
- Root positionB♭–D–F–CB♭add9×-1-0-3-1-1
- First inversionD–F–C–B♭B♭add9/D×-×-0-3-1-1
- Second inversionF–C–B♭–DB♭add9/F1-1-0-3-1-×
- Third inversionC–B♭–D–FB♭add9/C×-3-0-3-1-1
How do you play a B♭ add 9 chord on guitar?
B♭ add 9 is played in open position as × 1 0 3 1 1: index finger on the A string at fret 1, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the B string at fret 1 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (3) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 4 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (2) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 3 | F (5) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach the 3rd fret on the G string while the other fingers hold the 1st fret, a stretch that can cause buzzing.
6th fret
B♭ add 9 is played at the 6th fret as × × 8 7 6 8: ring finger on the D string at fret 8, middle finger on the G string at fret 7, index finger on the B string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 8. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 2 | D (3) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 4 | C (2) |
B♭add9/D inversion
B♭ add 9 is played in open position as × × 0 3 1 1: ring finger on the G string at fret 3, index finger on the B string at fret 1 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D string rings open. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (3) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 | C (2) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 2 | F (5) |
B♭add9/F inversion · 1-1-0-3-1-×
B♭ add 9 is played in open position as 1 1 0 3 1 ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, middle finger on the A string at fret 1, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3 and ring finger on the B string at fret 1. The D string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (5) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 2 | B♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (3) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 4 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 3 | C (2) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
B♭add9/F inversion · 1-3-0-3-1-×
B♭ add 9 is played in open position as 1 3 0 3 1 ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, ring finger on the A string at fret 3, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3 and middle finger on the B string at fret 1. The D string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (5) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (2) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (3) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 4 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (2) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ add 9 stacks a Major 3rd, Perfect 5th and Major 2nd above the root B♭. The added Major 2nd from B♭ to C is what separates it from B♭ major. The chord has no tritone and no leading tone.
What goes wrong with B♭ add 9?
- Letting the low E string ring, which is outside the chord.
- Flattening the middle finger so it mutes the 4th string.
- Pinky not pressing firmly, causing a muted 3rd string.
When to use it
B♭ add 9 works as the tonic in B♭ major, where it can replace B♭ major in the I–IV–V–I progression: B♭–E♭–F–B♭. It also fits the I–V–vi–IV progression B♭–F–G minor–E♭. The added 9th gives a lush, jazzy color.
Changing to and from B♭ add 9
- From the open B♭ add 9, move to B♭ major by lifting the pinky and placing the ring finger on the 3rd string, 3rd fret.
Which voicing to use
The open position places the root B♭ on the 5th string, giving a clear bass. The B♭add9/D inversion at the 1st fret places the third in the bass for a lighter sound. The B♭add9/F inversion at the 1st fret places the fifth in the bass and omits the high e string.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ add 9 written?
B♭ add 9 is written as B♭add9 or B♭. The ASCII root spelling is Bb. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between B♭ add 9 and B♭ major?
B♭ add 9 adds the 9th, C, to the B♭ major triad B♭–D–F. B♭ major has only the root, major third and perfect fifth.
Can B♭ add 9 be played without the pinky?
Yes, the B♭add9/D inversion at the 1st fret omits the 3rd fret on the G string, but it changes the voicing.
Which scale degrees does B♭ add 9 contain?
B♭ add 9 contains the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 9th degrees of the B♭ major scale. The 9th is the same note as the 2nd, C.