Also written B♭, B♭maj or B♭M
B♭ major contains B♭, D, and F. This first-position chord uses a partial barre on the top two strings, making it a solid intermediate grip.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
B♭ major is built from the formula 1, 3, 5. The major 3rd between B♭ and D gives the chord its bright quality, while the minor 3rd between D and F completes the triad. Compare it with B♭ minor, which lowers the 3rd to D♭.
B♭ major works in the I–V–vi–IV progression: B♭ major–F major–G minor–E♭ major. Use B♭ major for bright folk or pop strumming.
The B♭maj/D inversion puts D in the bass and is the easiest grip. The B♭maj/F inversion with F in the bass offers a fuller sound. The 8th fret voicing has B♭ in the bass and is the most compact.
B♭ major is played at the 1st fret as 3 2 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the G string at fret 3 and middle finger on the C string at fret 2.
Tip — The index finger must barre the E and A strings at the 1st fret while the other fingers reach the 2nd and 3rd frets.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 2 | 2 | D (3) |
| 2 (E) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
B♭ major is played at the 3rd fret as 3 5 6 5: index finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the C string at fret 5, pinky finger on the E string at fret 6 and ring finger on the A string at fret 5.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 5 | 2 | F (5) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 4 | B♭ (1) |
| 1 (A) | 5 | 3 | D (3) |
B♭ major is played at the 5th fret as 7 5 6 5: pinky finger on the G string at fret 7, index finger on the C string at fret 5, ring finger on the E string at fret 6 and middle finger on the A string at fret 5.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7 | 4 | D (3) |
| 3 (C) | 5 | 1 | F (5) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 1 (A) | 5 | 2 | D (3) |
B♭ major is played at the 8th fret as 10 10 10 8: middle finger on the G string at fret 10, ring finger on the C string at fret 10, pinky finger on the E string at fret 10 and index finger on the A string at fret 8.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (5) |
| 3 (C) | 10 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 10 | 4 | D (3) |
| 1 (A) | 8 | 1 | F (5) |
B♭ major is played at the 8th fret as × 10 10 8: middle finger on the C string at fret 10, ring finger on the E string at fret 10 and index finger on the A string at fret 8. The G string stays muted.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (C) | 10 | 2 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 10 | 3 | D (3) |
| 1 (A) | 8 | 1 | F (5) |
B♭ major is written as B♭, B♭maj, or B♭M. On a keyboard, use Bb for the root. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
B♭ major has a major 3rd (D), while B♭ minor has a minor 3rd (D♭). The 5th (F) is the same in both chords.
The lowest note in that voicing is D, which is the 3rd of the chord. This inversion is often used to create a smoother bass line.