B♭6 chord
B♭6 is B♭, D, F and G: 1–3–5–6 built on B♭. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
x-1-0-0-3-1 · open · easy
- Notes
- B♭ · D · F · G
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
- First shape
- x-1-0-0-3-1
B♭6 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · B♭–D–F–G · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- B♭ · D · F · G
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
B♭6 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
0-2-1-1 · open · easy
- Notes
- B♭ · D · F · G
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
- First shape
- 0-2-1-1
Where B♭6 usually goes next
Three changes cover most of what B♭6 does in songs.
- B♭6 → E♭ (IV in B♭ major)
Guitar: B♭6 (x-1-0-0-3-1) to E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3): the index finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 3rd fret, the ring finger slides across to the high E string at the same fret, the pinky finger comes down on the B string, 4th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. The two chords share B♭ and G, which is why the change sounds smooth.
Piano: B♭6 to E♭: play E♭ in 2nd inversion (B♭–E♭–G) and B♭ and G stay under the same fingers, while D moves up to E♭. E♭ - B♭6 → F (V in B♭ major)
Guitar: B♭6 (x-1-0-0-3-1) to F (1-3-3-2-1-1): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the A string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the D string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. F carries over from one chord to the other.
Piano: B♭6 to F: play F in 1st inversion (A–C–F) and F stays under the same finger, while B♭ moves down to A and B♭ up to C. F - B♭6 → Gm (vi in B♭ major)
Guitar: B♭6 (x-1-0-0-3-1) to Gm (3-5-5-3-3-3): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 3rd fret, your middle finger lands on the A string, 5th fret, the ring finger goes to the D string, 5th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share B♭, D and G, which is why the change sounds smooth.
Piano: B♭6 to Gm: play Gm in 1st inversion (B♭–D–G) and B♭, D and G stay under the same fingers. Gm
Guitar with a capo: capo 1, A6 shape; capo 3, G6 shape; capo 6, E6 shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 3, G6 shape.
How B♭6 is built
B♭6 is B♭ major with a major sixth added. It sounds sweet and a little vintage, the classic last chord of a swing tune, and it shares all its notes with Gm7.
From B♭, go 4 half steps up to D, 3 half steps up to F then 2 half steps up to G. A♯6 is the other spelling of the same chord.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| B♭ | root | 0 | |
| D | major third | 4 | |
| F | perfect fifth | 7 | |
| G | major sixth | 9 |
Keys and progressions with B♭6
B♭6 isn't a chord of any major or natural minor key, so it usually appears as a passing or borrowed chord.
Chords close to B♭6
- B♭6 is B♭ plus G. B♭
Chords that share most of their notes with B♭6: Gm7, Gm, B♭, E♭maj7, E♭add9, Em7♭5.
Every B♭ chord
B♭6 chord: questions
What notes are in the B♭6 chord?
B♭, D, F and G. B♭6 is built 1–3–5–6 from B♭: D is the major third, F is the perfect fifth and G is the major sixth.
How do you play B♭6 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-1-0-0-3-1 (open). All 4 guitar shapes.
How do you play B♭6 on piano?
Play B♭, D, F and G with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. B♭ sits on the last black key of the group of three. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play B♭6 on ukulele?
0-2-1-1 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is B♭6 in?
B♭6 isn't a chord of any major or natural minor key, so it usually appears as a passing or borrowed chord.
What's the difference between B♭6 and B♭?
B♭6 is B♭ plus G.
Diagrams and sound come from the same data, tested so they match. Updated September 2026.