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B♭ major 9th chord on guitar (B♭maj9)
Also called or written B♭maj9 or B♭
B♭ major 9th contains B♭, D, F, A, and C. The open position uses a stretchy pinky on the G string while muting the low E.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
- Root positionB♭–D–F–A–CB♭maj9×-1-0-2-1-1
- First inversionD–F–A–C–B♭B♭maj9/D×-5-7-5-6-6
- Second inversionF–A–C–B♭–DB♭maj9/F1-0-0-3-1-1
- Third inversionA–C–B♭–D–FB♭maj9/A×-0-0-3-1-1
- Fourth inversionC–B♭–D–F–AB♭maj9/C×-3-3-3-3-5
How do you play a B♭ major 9th chord on guitar?
B♭ major 9th is played in open position as × 1 0 2 1 1: index finger on the A string at fret 1, pinky finger on the G string at fret 2, 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) | 2 | 4 | A (7) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (2) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 3 | F (5) |
AdvancedThe pinky must fret the G string at the 2nd fret without touching the open D string, while the low E is muted.
5th fret
B♭ major 9th is played at the 5th fret as 6 5 7 5 6 5: barre your index finger across fret 5, middle finger on the low E string at fret 6, pinky finger on the D string at fret 7 and ring finger on the B string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 2 | B♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 1 (barre) | D (3) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 4 | A (7) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 1 (barre) | C (2) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 3 | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 1 (barre) | A (7) |
B♭maj9/D inversion · fret 5
B♭ major 9th is played at the 5th fret as × 5 7 5 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 5, pinky finger on the D string at fret 7, middle finger on the B string at fret 6 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 6. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 1 (barre) | D (3) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 4 | A (7) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 1 (barre) | C (2) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 2 | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
B♭maj9/D inversion · fret 8
B♭ major 9th is played at the 8th fret as 10 8 8 10 10 8: barre your index finger across fret 8, middle finger on the low E string at fret 10, ring finger on the G string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 2 | D (3) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 3 | F (5) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 4 | A (7) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (2) |
B♭maj9/D inversion · fret 10
B♭ major 9th is played at the 10th fret as 10 12 10 10 11 10: barre your index finger across fret 10, pinky finger on the A string at fret 12 and ring finger on the B string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (3) |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 4 | A (7) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 1 (barre) | C (2) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (3) |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ major 9th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9. The major seventh interval gives it its characteristic lush sound. Compared with B♭ major 7th, the added ninth creates a more open, colorful voicing.
What goes wrong with B♭ major 9th?
- The low E string rings out because it is not muted.
- The open D string is deadened by the pinky touching it.
- The 2nd string buzzes because the middle finger is not close to the fret.
When to use it
B♭ major 9th works as the tonic in B♭ major, such as 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♭. Use it in jazz ballads and R&B for a smooth, extended harmony.
Changing to and from B♭ major 9th
- From B♭ major, add the open D string and the pinky on G to reach B♭ major 9th.
- Move to C minor by shifting the index finger to the 5th string, 3rd fret, and adjusting the other fingers.
Which voicing to use
The open position has B♭ in the bass and is the easiest to play. The B♭maj9/D inversion at the 5th fret puts D in the bass, giving a brighter sound. For a higher register, use the 17th fret shape.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ major 9th written?
B♭ major 9th is written as B♭ or B♭maj9. The ASCII root spelling is Bb. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Why is the low E string muted in the open position?
The open low E is not a chord tone, so it is muted to keep the voicing clean. The bass note is B♭ on the 5th string.
What is the difference between B♭ major 9th and B♭ add 9?
B♭ major 9th includes the major seventh (A), while B♭ add 9 does not. The add 9 chord is simply a B♭ major triad with the ninth added.