All chords › Bb

Bb Guitar Chords

51 chord types built on Bb, from the plain triad through to the extended and altered shapes — 446 playable voicings in total, every one with its fingering marked.

41% of the Bb shapes here (185 of 446) let at least one string ring open, so a lot of them sound fuller than the barre versions and are easier to hold. As a key centre, Bb is the I chord; it also turns up as the IV of Eb and the V of F.

The five you will reach for first

The five shapes every player meets first: the plain major and minor triads, the power chord, and the two triads that alter the fifth. Between them these 5 chords account for 81 of the 446 Bb shapes on this site.

Jump to: Bb · Bbm · Bb5 · Bbaug · Bbdim

Bb

BbDF
17 shapes · open & play
X
O
1
3
4
2
X
O
X
X
1
2
X
1
2
3
4
1
X
X
3
4
1
1
1
X
X
X
3
4
1
2
O
X
5
2
1
3
4
X
O
X
X
6
1
2
O
X
X
X
6
1
3
6
1
3
4
2
1
1
X
X
6
3
2
1
1
X
X
X
6
3
2
1
X
X
X
8
1
3
4
X
O
X
10
4
1
2
X
O
10
4
1
3
2
X
10
4
3
1
2
1
X
O
X
11
3
1
4
X
X
11
3
2
1
4

Bb turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of Bb major, V of Eb major, IV of F major, VI of D minor, III of G minor, VII of C minor.

Progressions that actually use it: I – V – vi – IV (Bb major), I – vi – IV – V (Bb major), I – IV – V (Bb major), I – IV – iv – I (Bb major).

Fret and finger numbers for Bb
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 1 0 3 3 1– 1 – 3 4 2
X 1 0 X X 1– 1 – – – 2
X 1 3 3 3 1– 1 2 3 4 1
6 X 3 3 3 X4 – 1 1 1 –
6 X 3 X 3 X4 – 1 – 2 –
6 5 0 X 6 62 1 – – 3 4
6 X 0 X 6 X1 – – – 2 –
6 8 0 X X X1 3 – – – –
6 8 8 7 6 61 3 4 2 1 1
X X 8 7 6 6– – 3 2 1 1
X X 8 7 6 X– – 3 2 1 –
X X 8 10 X 10– – 1 3 – 4
X 13 0 10 X 10– 4 – 1 – 2
X 13 0 10 11 10– 4 – 1 3 2
X 13 12 10 11 10– 4 3 1 2 1
X 13 0 X 11 13– 3 – – 1 4
X 13 12 X 11 13– 3 2 – 1 4

Bbm

BbC#F
12 shapes · open & play
X
1
3
4
2
1
X
X
X
1
3
2
X
X
1
3
4
2
X
X
X
3
2
1
6
1
3
4
1
1
1
X
X
6
3
1
1
1
X
X
6
3
1
1
4
X
X
X
6
3
1
1
X
X
8
1
3
4
2
X
X
X
8
1
3
2
X
X
11
3
1
2
4
X
X
X
11
3
1
4

Bbm turns up as the i, v, iv, vi chord across 6 keys: i of Bb minor, v of Eb minor, iv of F minor, vi of C# major, ii of G# major, iii of F# major.

Progressions that actually use it: i – VI – III – VII (Bb minor), i – iv – v (Bb minor), i – iv – V7 – i (Bb minor), i – VII – VI – V (Bb minor).

Fret and finger numbers for Bbm
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 1 3 3 2 1– 1 3 4 2 1
X 1 X X 2 1– 1 – – 3 2
X 1 3 3 2 X– 1 3 4 2 –
X X X 3 2 1– – – 3 2 1
6 8 8 6 6 61 3 4 1 1 1
X X 8 6 6 6– – 3 1 1 1
X X 8 6 6 9– – 3 1 1 4
X X 8 6 6 X– – 3 1 1 –
X X 8 10 11 9– – 1 3 4 2
X X 8 10 X 9– – 1 3 – 2
X 13 11 X 11 13– 3 1 – 2 4
X 13 11 X X 13– 3 1 – – 4

Bb5

BbF
13 shapes · open & play
X
X
1
3
4
2
X
X
X
1
3
2
X
X
X
X
1
2
X
X
X
1
3
4
X
X
X
3
4
1
1
X
X
X
3
1
3
4
X
X
6
1
4
2
3
X
X
X
6
1
2
3
X
X
X
X
6
1
3
X
X
X
X
6
3
1
X
X
X
X
8
1
3
X
X
X
8
1
3
4
X
X
X
11
3
1
4

Bb5 fits 12 of the twenty-four major and minor keys — a chord this open leaves most of the scale untouched. These are the 6 where it carries the weight, as the I, IV or V: I of Bb major, i of Bb minor, V of Eb major, v of Eb minor, IV of F major, iv of F minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Bb5
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 1 3 3 X 1– 1 3 4 – 2
X 1 X 3 X 1– 1 – 3 – 2
X 1 X X X 1– 1 – – – 2
X 1 3 3 X X– 1 3 4 – –
6 X 3 3 X X4 – 1 1 – –
X X X 3 6 6– – – 1 3 4
6 X 8 X 6 61 – 4 – 2 3
6 X X X 6 61 – – – 2 3
6 8 X X X X1 3 – – – –
X X 8 X 6 X– – 3 – 1 –
X X 8 10 X X– – 1 3 – –
X X 8 10 11 X– – 1 3 4 –
X 13 X X 11 13– 3 – – 1 4

Bbaug

BbDF#
20 shapes · open & play
X
O
X
X
1
2
X
O
X
1
3
2
X
O
1
3
4
2
X
X
X
2
3
1
X
X
3
4
2
1
1
X
X
4
3
2
1
4
O
X
X
5
2
1
3
X
O
X
X
6
1
2
O
X
X
X
6
1
4
X
X
X
6
1
2
3
X
X
6
4
2
3
1
X
X
7
2
1
1
4
X
X
X
7
2
1
1
X
O
10
4
2
3
1
X
O
X
11
3
1
1
X
O
X
X
11
3
1
X
O
11
3
1
1
4
X
11
3
2
1
1
4
X
X
11
3
2
1
1
X
X
X
12
2
1
3

Bbaug — The fifth is raised, which puts a note outside every major and minor key. It almost always appears on the way somewhere — holding a major chord for a moment while the top voice climbs toward the next one.

Fret and finger numbers for Bbaug
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 1 0 X X 2– 1 – – – 2
X 1 0 X 3 2– 1 – – 3 2
X 1 0 3 3 2– 1 – 3 4 2
X X X 3 3 2– – – 2 3 1
6 X 4 3 3 X4 – 2 1 1 –
6 5 4 X X 63 2 1 – – 4
6 5 0 X 7 X2 1 – – 3 –
6 X 0 X 7 X1 – – – 2 –
6 9 0 X X X1 4 – – – –
6 X X 7 7 X1 – – 2 3 –
X X 8 7 7 6– – 4 2 3 1
X X 8 7 7 10– – 2 1 1 4
X X 8 7 7 X– – 2 1 1 –
X 13 0 11 11 10– 4 – 2 3 1
X 13 0 11 11 X– 3 – 1 1 –
X 13 0 11 X X– 3 – 1 – –
X 13 0 11 11 14– 3 – 1 1 4
X 13 12 11 11 14– 3 2 1 1 4
X 13 12 11 11 X– 3 2 1 1 –
X 13 12 X X 14– 2 1 – – 3

Bbdim

BbC#E
19 shapes · open & play
X
X
X
O
1
2
X
X
O
1
2
3
X
X
X
O
2
1
X
X
X
O
4
3
1
X
X
O
5
2
3
1
X
X
O
5
4
2
1
X
X
5
4
2
1
3
X
X
O
6
1
3
2
X
X
X
O
6
1
2
X
O
6
1
3
4
2
X
X
X
O
6
3
1
X
X
8
1
2
4
3
X
X
X
8
1
2
3
X
X
O
11
3
1
2
X
X
X
O
11
3
1
X
X
11
4
1
2
3
X
X
X
11
3
1
2
X
X
11
3
1
4
2
X
X
12
2
3
4
1

Bbdim is the ii° and the vii° chord of G# minor and B major.

Fret and finger numbers for Bbdim
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 1 X X 2 0– 1 – – 2 –
X 1 2 X 2 0– 1 2 – 3 –
X X X 3 2 0– – – 2 1 –
6 4 X X X 03 1 – – – –
6 X X 6 5 02 – – 3 1 –
X X 8 6 5 0– – 4 2 1 –
X X 8 6 5 6– – 4 2 1 3
6 X 8 6 X 01 – 3 2 – –
6 X X 6 X 01 – – 2 – –
6 7 8 6 X 01 3 4 2 – –
X X 8 6 X 0– – 3 1 – –
X X 8 9 11 9– – 1 2 4 3
X X 8 9 X 9– – 1 2 – 3
X 13 11 X 11 0– 3 1 – 2 –
X 13 11 X X 0– 3 1 – – –
X 13 11 X 11 12– 4 1 – 2 3
X 13 11 X X 12– 3 1 – – 2
X 13 11 X 14 12– 3 1 – 4 2
X 13 14 X 14 12– 2 3 – 4 1

The rest of the Bb chords

Bb Major-family chords

9 chord types · 99 shapes

Bbmaj7 · Bbadd9 · Bb6 · Bbmaj9 · Bbmaj11 · Bbmaj13 · Bb6/9 · Bbmaj7add11 · Bbmaj7add13

Bb Minor-family chords

14 chord types · 79 shapes

Bbm7 · Bbm6 · Bbm6/9 · Bbm(maj7) · Bbm7add11 · Bbm(maj7)add11 · Bbm7add13 · Bbm(maj7)add13 · Bbm(add9) · Bbm9 · Bbm(maj9) · Bbm11 · Bbm(maj11) · Bbm13

Bb Dominant chords

6 chord types · 35 shapes

Bb7 · Bb9 · Bb11 · Bb13 · Bb7add11 · Bb7add13

Bb Suspended & Altered chords

17 chord types · 152 shapes

Bbsus2 · Bbsus4 · Bb7sus4 · Bbmaj7sus4 · Bb7sus2 · Bbmaj7sus2 · Bb6sus4 · Bb6sus2 · Bbm7b5 · Bbm7#5 · Bbdim7 · Bb7b9 · Bb7#9 · Bb7b5 · Bbaug7 · Bbaug7b9 · Bbm7b9

Every chord above has an open & play link that opens it in the interactive dictionary, where you can hear it and step through the shapes. You can also work backwards from a shape you are already holding.