Tools / Chords / B♭ major 9th

B♭ major 9th chord on guitar (B♭maj9)

Also 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.

Open×-1-0-2-1-1

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

B♭1Root

D3Major 3rd

F5Perfect 5th

A7Major 7th

C99th

Formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

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

Root positionB♭–D–F–A–CB♭maj9Bass B♭

First inversionD–F–A–C–B♭B♭maj9/DBass D

Second inversionF–A–C–B♭–DB♭maj9/FBass F

Third inversionA–C–B♭–D–FB♭maj9/ABass A

Fourth inversionC–B♭–D–F–AB♭maj9/CBass C

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.

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

Open

Beginner● On the diagram

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.

Tip — The pinky must fret the G string at the 2nd fret without touching the open D string, while the low E is muted.

String-by-string 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 (9)
1 (e)	1	3	F (5)

5th fret

Barre

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.

String-by-string 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 (9)
2 (B)	6	3	F (5)
1 (e)	5	1 (barre)	A (7)

B♭maj9/D inversion · fret 5

Barre

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.

String-by-string 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 (9)
2 (B)	6	2	F (5)
1 (e)	6	3	B♭ (1)

B♭maj9/D inversion · fret 8

Barre

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.

String-by-string 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 (9)

B♭maj9/D inversion · fret 10

Barre

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.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	10	1 (barre)	D (3)
5 (A)	12	4	A (7)
4 (D)	10	1 (barre)	C (9)
3 (G)	10	1 (barre)	F (5)
2 (B)	11	3	B♭ (1)
1 (e)	10	1 (barre)	D (3)

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.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

B♭ (1)

4 (D)

open

—

D (3)

3 (G)

A (7)

2 (B)

C (9)

1 (e)

F (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

B♭ (1)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

D (3)

4 (D)

A (7)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

C (9)

2 (B)

F (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

A (7)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

1 (barre)

D (3)

4 (D)

A (7)

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)

A (7)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

C (9)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

D (3)

5 (A)

A (7)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

C (9)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

F (5)

2 (B)

B♭ (1)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

D (3)