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B♭ minor add 9 chord on guitar (B♭madd9)
Also called or written B♭madd9, B♭m add9, B♭ or B♭ minor Add 9th
B♭ minor add 9 is built from B♭, D♭, F, and C. The 6th-fret barre shape is identical in fingering to A minor add 9 but one fret higher.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 9
- Root positionB♭–D♭–F–CB♭madd96-8-8-6-6-8
- First inversionD♭–F–C–B♭B♭madd9/D♭×-4-×-5-6-6
- Second inversionF–C–B♭–D♭B♭madd9/F×-8-8-6-6-8
- Third inversionC–B♭–D♭–FB♭madd9/C×-3-3-3-2-×
How do you play a B♭ minor add 9 chord on guitar?
B♭ minor add 9 is played at the 6th fret as 6 8 8 6 6 8: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the A string at fret 8, ring finger on the D string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 2 | F (5) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 4 | C (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must hold the 6th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings at the 6th fret while the pinky reaches the 8th fret on the high e.
B♭m add9/D♭ inversion · fret 4
B♭ minor add 9 is played at the 4th fret as × 4 × 5 6 6: index finger on the A string at fret 4, middle finger on the G string at 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 and D strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 | D♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 2 | C (2) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 3 | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 4 | B♭ (1) |
B♭m add9/D♭ inversion · fret 8
B♭ minor add 9 is played at the 8th fret as 9 8 8 10 × 8: barre your index finger across fret 8, ring finger on the low E string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 10. The B string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 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) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (2) |
B♭m add9/D♭ inversion · fret 9
B♭ minor add 9 is played at the 9th fret as 9 × 10 10 11 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, middle finger on the D string at fret 10, ring finger on the G string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 11. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 2 | C (2) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 3 | F (5) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 4 | B♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭3) |
B♭m add9/F inversion
B♭ minor add 9 is played at the 6th fret as × 8 8 6 6 8: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the A string at fret 8, ring finger on the D string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 8. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 2 | F (5) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 4 | C (2) |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ minor add 9 uses the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 9. The major 2nd between B♭ and C adds the ninth, while the minor 3rd between B♭ and D♭ keeps the minor quality. Compare with B♭ minor, which omits the ninth.
What goes wrong with B♭ minor add 9?
- Letting the index barre lift off the high e string, causing a buzz at the 6th fret.
- Flattening the middle finger onto the 4th string and deadening the D at the 8th fret.
Changing to and from B♭ minor add 9
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 5th fret gives A minor add 9.
- From B♭ minor, lift the pinky and middle finger to return to the 6th-fret B♭ minor barre.
Which voicing to use
The 6th-fret voicing puts B♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The B♭m add9/D♭ inversion at the 4th fret places D♭ in the bass, giving a darker, less stable feel.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ minor add 9 written?
B♭ minor add 9 is written as B♭m add9 or B♭ minor add 9. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between B♭ minor add 9 and B♭ minor 9?
B♭ minor add 9 contains only the root, minor third, fifth, and ninth. B♭ minor 9 adds the minor seventh as well, creating a denser, more dissonant sound.
Can I play B♭ minor add 9 without the barre?
Yes, the B♭m add9/D♭ inversion at the 4th fret uses no barre. It omits the low E string and places D♭ in the bass, but it is easier for beginners.