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B♭ minor major 9th chord on guitar (B♭mMaj9)
Also called or written B♭mMaj9, B♭minmaj9, B♭mM9, B♭min(maj9) or B♭m(maj9)
B♭ minor major 9th contains B♭, D♭, F, A and C. The 6th-fret voicing is a full barre with a pinky stretch to fret 8 on the high E.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7, 9
- Root positionB♭–D♭–F–A–CB♭mMaj96-8-7-6-6-8
- First inversionD♭–F–A–C–B♭B♭mMaj9/D♭9-8-8-10-10-8
- Second inversionF–A–C–B♭–D♭B♭mMaj9/Fno shape on this instrument
- Third inversionA–C–B♭–D♭–FB♭mMaj9/Ano shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionC–B♭–D♭–F–AB♭mMaj9/C8-8-7-6-6-6
How do you play a B♭ minor major 9th chord on guitar?
B♭ minor major 9th is played at the 6th fret as 6 8 7 6 6 8: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the A string at fret 8, middle finger on the D string at fret 7 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 | 3 | F (5) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 2 | A (7) |
| 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 low E, G, B and high E at fret 6 while the pinky reaches fret 8 on the high E.
B♭minmaj9/D♭ inversion
B♭ minor major 9th is played at the 8th fret as 9 8 8 10 10 8: barre your index finger across fret 8, middle finger on the low E string at fret 9, 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) | 9 | 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♭minmaj9/C inversion · fret 6
B♭ minor major 9th is played at the 6th fret as 8 8 7 6 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the low E string at fret 8, pinky finger on the A string at fret 8 and middle finger on the D string at fret 7.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 3 | C (2) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 4 | F (5) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 2 | A (7) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
B♭minmaj9/C inversion · fret 8
B♭ minor major 9th is played at the 8th fret as 8 8 8 10 10 9: barre your index finger across fret 8, ring finger on the G string at fret 10, pinky finger on the B string at fret 10 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (2) |
| 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) | 9 | 2 | D♭ (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ minor major 9th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7, 9. The major 7th A against the minor 3rd D♭ creates the chord's characteristic tension. Compare it to B♭ minor major 7th, which omits the 9th C.
What goes wrong with B♭ minor major 9th?
- Let the high E string buzz under the pinky at fret 8.
- Allow the middle finger to touch the G string, deadening the barre note at fret 6.
- Lift the index barre off the low E string, losing the root B♭.
When to use it
Use B♭ minor major 9th in place of B♭ minor for a more complex color. It suits jazz ballads and film-score tension.
Changing to and from B♭ minor major 9th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 5th fret gives A minor major 9th.
- Move to B♭ minor major 7th by lifting the pinky off the high E string and letting the B string ring at fret 6.
Which voicing to use
The 6th-fret voicing puts the root B♭ in the bass for a grounded sound. The B♭ minor major 9th/D♭ inversion at the 8th fret places D♭ in the bass, softening the chord's bite. Choose the C inversion when you want the 9th in the bass for a floating, unresolved feel.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ minor major 9th written?
B♭ minor major 9th is written B♭mM9, min(maj9), m(maj9), or B♭minmaj9. 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♭ minor major 9th and B♭ minor add 9?
B♭ minor add 9 contains B♭, D♭, F and C, omitting the major 7th A. B♭ minor major 9th includes both the major 7th and the 9th, creating a denser, more dissonant sound.
Can B♭ minor major 9th be used in a minor key?
B♭ minor major 9th is the tonic chord in B♭ harmonic minor and B♭ melodic minor. It is not diatonic to B♭ natural minor, which has a minor 7th A♭ instead of A.