All chords › Bb › Major-family

Bb Major-family Chords

Major seventh and the colours stacked on top of it. These are the chords that sound settled and bright rather than restless.

9 chord types · 99 playable voicings · frets 1–14 · 62 use an open string

62 of the 99 shapes below let at least one string ring open, which usually makes them easier to hold and fuller to hear than the barred equivalents. The rest are movable grips. In the keys you are most likely to meet them, these chords sit as the I of Bb, the IV of Eb, and the V of F.

Jump to: Bbmaj7 · Bbadd9 · Bb6 · Bbmaj9 · Bbmaj11 · Bbmaj13 · Bb6/9 · Bbmaj7add11 · Bbmaj7add13

Bbmaj7

BbDFA
13 shapes · open & play
X
O
X
1
3
2
X
O
1
3
4
2
X
1
3
2
4
1
O
X
3
4
1
1
1
O
X
X
3
4
1
2
O
3
4
1
1
1
3
X
X
5
4
3
2
1
O
O
X
X
6
1
2
O
O
6
1
4
2
3
6
1
4
2
3
1
1
X
X
8
1
2
3
4
X
O
10
4
1
1
1
X
10
4
3
1
1
1

Bbmaj7 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of Bb major, IV of F major, VI of D minor, III of G minor.

Progressions that actually use it: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 (Bb major), Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7 (Bb major), vi7 – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 (Bb major), i7 – VImaj7 – IIImaj7 – VII7 (D minor).

Fret and finger numbers for Bbmaj7
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 1 0 2 X 1– 1 – 3 – 2
X 1 0 2 3 1– 1 – 3 4 2
X 1 3 2 3 1– 1 3 2 4 1
6 0 3 3 3 X4 – 1 1 1 –
6 0 3 X 3 X4 – 1 – 2 –
6 0 3 3 3 54 – 1 1 1 3
X X 8 7 6 5– – 4 3 2 1
6 0 0 X 6 X1 – – – 2 –
6 0 0 7 6 61 – – 4 2 3
6 8 7 7 6 61 4 2 3 1 1
X X 8 10 10 10– – 1 2 3 4
X 13 0 10 10 10– 4 – 1 1 1
X 13 12 10 10 10– 4 3 1 1 1

Bbadd9

BbDFC
10 shapes · open & play
X
O
1
4
2
3
X
O
X
1
2
3
X
3
4
1
1
1
1
X
X
3
4
1
1
2
X
O
X
6
1
2
3
O
X
X
6
1
3
4
X
X
6
3
2
1
4
X
X
10
4
1
1
2
X
10
4
1
1
3
2
X
X
12
2
1
3
4

Bbadd9 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: Iadd9 – V – vi7 – IV (Bb major).

Fret and finger numbers for Bbadd9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 1 0 3 1 1– 1 – 4 2 3
X 1 0 X 1 1– 1 – – 2 3
6 3 3 3 3 X4 1 1 1 1 –
6 3 3 X 3 X4 1 1 – 2 –
6 X 0 X 6 81 – – – 2 3
6 8 0 X X 81 3 – – – 4
X X 8 7 6 8– – 3 2 1 4
X 13 10 10 X 10– 4 1 1 – 2
X 13 10 10 11 10– 4 1 1 3 2
X 13 12 X 13 13– 2 1 – 3 4

Bb6

BbDFG
16 shapes · open & play
X
O
O
X
1
2
X
O
O
1
3
2
X
O
1
3
4
2
X
X
3
4
1
2
3
3
4
3
1
1
1
1
O
O
5
2
1
3
4
O
5
2
1
1
3
4
X
X
5
2
4
1
3
X
O
O
X
6
1
2
O
O
X
X
6
1
3
O
O
6
1
4
2
3
O
O
6
1
3
4
2
X
X
8
1
3
2
4
X
O
O
11
3
1
4
X
O
11
3
2
1
4
X
O
11
3
2
1
4

Bb6 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.

Fret and finger numbers for Bb6
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 1 0 0 X 1– 1 – – – 2
X 1 0 0 3 1– 1 – – 3 2
X 1 3 0 3 1– 1 3 – 4 2
6 X 3 X 3 34 – 1 – 2 3
6 5 3 3 3 34 3 1 1 1 1
6 5 0 0 6 62 1 – – 3 4
6 5 5 0 6 62 1 1 – 3 4
6 8 5 7 X X2 4 1 3 – –
6 X 0 0 6 X1 – – – 2 –
6 8 0 0 X X1 3 – – – –
6 8 0 0 6 61 4 – – 2 3
6 8 0 0 8 61 3 – – 4 2
X X 8 10 8 10– – 1 3 2 4
X 13 0 0 11 13– 3 – – 1 4
X 13 0 12 11 13– 3 – 2 1 4
X 13 12 0 11 13– 3 2 – 1 4

Bbmaj9

BbDFAC
6 shapes · open & play
X
O
1
4
2
3
3
4
1
1
1
1
3
O
O
X
5
2
1
3
O
O
X
6
1
2
3
X
10
4
1
1
1
1
X
12
2
1
4
3
3

Bbmaj9 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of Bb major, IV of F major, VI of D minor, III of G minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Bbmaj9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 1 0 2 1 1– 1 – 4 2 3
6 3 3 3 3 54 1 1 1 1 3
6 0 0 5 6 X2 – – 1 3 –
6 0 0 X 6 81 – – – 2 3
X 13 10 10 10 10– 4 1 1 1 1
X 13 12 14 13 13– 2 1 4 3 3

Bbmaj11

BbDFACEb
8 shapes · open & play
O
3
4
4
2
1
3
3
4
4
1
2
1
3
O
O
4
3
2
1
4
O
O
X
4
3
2
1
O
5
2
3
1
4
1
O
O
6
1
3
2
4
6
1
1
2
3
1
4
X
O
11
2
4
3
1

Bbmaj11 is the I and the III chord of Bb major and G minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Bbmaj11
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
6 6 0 5 3 54 4 – 2 1 3
6 6 3 5 3 54 4 1 2 1 3
6 0 0 5 4 63 – – 2 1 4
6 0 0 5 4 X3 – – 2 1 –
6 6 0 5 6 52 3 – 1 4 1
6 0 0 8 6 81 – – 3 2 4
6 6 7 7 6 81 1 2 3 1 4
X 13 0 14 13 11– 2 – 4 3 1

Bbmaj13

BbDFACG
4 shapes · open & play
O
3
4
1
3
1
1
5
3
1
1
1
4
2
O
O
O
6
1
2
3
6
1
3
2
2
4
4

Bbmaj13 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of Bb major, IV of F major, VI of D minor, III of G minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Bbmaj13
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
6 0 3 5 3 34 – 1 3 1 1
6 5 5 5 6 53 1 1 1 4 2
6 0 0 0 6 81 – – – 2 3
6 8 7 7 8 81 3 2 2 4 4

Bb6/9

BbDFGC
16 shapes · open & play
X
O
O
1
2
3
O
X
3
4
1
1
2
O
3
4
1
1
2
3
3
4
1
1
1
1
1
3
4
1
1
3
1
1
O
O
5
2
1
3
4
O
5
2
1
1
3
4
X
5
2
1
1
1
3
5
2
1
1
1
3
4
5
2
1
1
1
3
4
X
O
O
6
1
2
3
O
O
6
1
3
2
4
6
1
3
3
2
4
4
X
O
12
2
1
3
4
X
O
12
2
1
3
4
X
12
2
1
1
3
4

Bb6/9 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.

Fret and finger numbers for Bb6/9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 1 0 0 1 1– 1 – – 2 3
6 3 3 0 3 X4 1 1 – 2 –
6 3 3 0 3 34 1 1 – 2 3
6 3 3 3 3 34 1 1 1 1 1
6 3 3 5 3 34 1 1 3 1 1
6 5 0 0 6 82 1 – – 3 4
6 5 5 0 6 82 1 1 – 3 4
6 5 5 5 6 X2 1 1 1 3 –
6 5 5 5 6 62 1 1 1 3 4
6 5 5 5 6 82 1 1 1 3 4
6 X 0 0 6 81 – – – 2 3
6 8 0 0 6 81 3 – – 2 4
6 8 8 7 8 81 3 3 2 4 4
X 13 12 0 13 13– 2 1 – 3 4
X 13 0 12 13 13– 2 – 1 3 4
X 13 12 12 13 13– 2 1 1 3 4

Bbmaj7add11

BbDFAEb
12 shapes · open & play
X
O
1
3
4
2
X
1
1
3
4
2
3
4
4
1
1
1
3
O
O
5
2
4
3
1
O
O
X
6
1
3
2
O
O
6
1
4
2
3
6
1
1
2
3
1
1
X
6
1
1
3
4
2
X
X
8
1
2
3
4
X
O
10
4
1
1
2
X
10
3
4
1
1
1
X
10
4
3
1
1
2

Bbmaj7add11 is the I and the III chord of Bb major and G minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Bbmaj7add11
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 1 0 2 4 1– 1 – 3 4 2
X 1 1 2 3 1– 1 1 3 4 2
6 6 3 3 3 54 4 1 1 1 3
6 0 0 8 6 52 – – 4 3 1
6 0 0 8 6 X1 – – 3 2 –
6 0 0 8 6 61 – – 4 2 3
6 6 7 7 6 61 1 2 3 1 1
6 6 7 7 6 X1 1 3 4 2 –
X X 8 8 10 10– – 1 2 3 4
X 13 0 10 10 11– 4 – 1 1 2
X 13 13 10 10 10– 3 4 1 1 1
X 13 12 10 10 11– 4 3 1 1 2

Bbmaj7add13

BbDFAG
14 shapes · open & play
O
3
4
1
1
1
1
O
O
X
3
4
1
2
O
O
3
4
1
2
3
O
O
3
4
1
2
3
O
O
O
5
2
3
1
O
X
5
2
1
4
3
O
5
2
1
4
3
1
O
O
5
3
1
4
2
O
5
3
1
1
4
2
O
X
5
2
1
4
3
O
O
5
2
4
3
1
5
2
1
1
4
3
1
O
O
O
X
6
1
2
O
O
O
6
1
2
3

Bbmaj7add13 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of Bb major, IV of F major, VI of D minor, III of G minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Bbmaj7add13
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
6 0 3 3 3 34 – 1 1 1 1
6 0 3 0 3 X4 – 1 – 2 –
6 0 3 0 3 34 – 1 – 2 3
6 0 3 0 3 54 – 1 – 2 3
6 0 0 0 6 52 – – – 3 1
6 0 5 7 6 X2 – 1 4 3 –
6 0 5 7 6 52 – 1 4 3 1
6 5 0 0 6 53 1 – – 4 2
6 5 5 0 6 53 1 1 – 4 2
6 5 7 0 6 X2 1 4 – 3 –
6 8 0 0 6 52 4 – – 3 1
6 5 5 7 6 52 1 1 4 3 1
6 0 0 0 6 X1 – – – 2 –
6 0 0 0 6 61 – – – 2 3

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.