B♭ minor chord (B♭m)
B♭m is B♭, D♭ and F: 1–♭3–5 built on B♭. See and hear it on all three instruments below.
On guitar
x-1-3-3-2-1 · barre · hard
- Notes
- B♭ · D♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5
- First shape
- x-1-3-3-2-1
B♭m on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · B♭–D♭–F · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- B♭ · D♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5
B♭m on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
3-1-1-1 · movable · medium
- Notes
- B♭ · D♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5
- First shape
- 3-1-1-1
Where B♭m usually goes next
Here's what the hand does on the most common changes, on guitar and on piano.
- B♭m → E♭ (V in A♭ major)
Guitar: B♭m (x-1-3-3-2-1) to E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3): move the index finger to the D string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the high E string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. B♭ carries over from one chord to the other.
Piano: B♭m to E♭: play E♭ in 2nd inversion (B♭–E♭–G) and B♭ stays under the same finger, while D♭ moves up to E♭ and F up to G. E♭ - B♭m → C♯ (IV in A♭ major)
Guitar: B♭m (x-1-3-3-2-1) to C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 4th fret, your middle finger lands on the D string, 6th fret, the ring finger goes to the G string, 6th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share D♭ and F, which is why the change sounds smooth.
Piano: B♭m to C♯: play C♯ in 2nd inversion (G♯–C♯–E♯) and C♯ and E♯ stay under the same fingers, while B♭ moves down to G♯. C♯ - B♭m → A♭ (I in A♭ major)
Guitar: B♭m (x-1-3-3-2-1) to A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 5th fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 6th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit.
Piano: B♭m to A♭: play A♭ in root position (A♭–C–E♭), while B♭ moves down to A♭, D♭ down to C and F down to E♭. A♭
Guitar with a capo: capo 1, Am shape; capo 6, Em shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 1, Am shape; capo 6, Em shape.
How B♭m is built
B♭m is a minor triad. It is darker and softer than B♭ major, but not automatically sad: in a major key it often just adds color.
Count keys (black and white) from B♭: 3 half steps up to D♭ then 4 half steps up to F. Written with flats or sharps the other way round it's A♯m; the sound is identical.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| B♭ | root | 0 | |
| D♭ | minor third | 3 | |
| F | perfect fifth | 7 |
Keys and progressions with B♭m
In major keys, B♭m is ii in A♭ major, iii in F♯ major and vi in D♭ major. In minor keys it is i in B♭ minor, iv in F minor and v in E♭ minor.
B♭m – G♭ – D♭ – A♭: that's i–VI–III–VII in the key of B♭ minor. the minor anthem
In B♭ minor, i–iv–V is B♭m – E♭m – F – B♭m. the minor cadence
i–VII–VI–V in B♭ minor runs B♭m – A♭ – G♭ – F. the Andalusian cadence
Play i–VII–VI–VII in B♭ minor and you get B♭m – A♭ – G♭ – A♭. the epic minor loop
Chords close to B♭m
- B♭m and B♭ differ by one note: D♭ in B♭m, D in B♭. They share B♭ and F. B♭
- B♭m and C♯ differ by one note: B♭ in B♭m, G♯ in C♯. They share D♭ and F. C♯
Chords that share most of their notes with B♭m: C♯6, F♯maj7, Gm7♭5, B♭m7, B♭m6, E♭9.
Every B♭ chord
B♭ minor chord: questions
What notes are in the B♭ minor chord?
B♭, D♭ and F. B♭m is built 1–♭3–5 from B♭: D♭ is the minor third and F is the perfect fifth.
How do you play B♭m on guitar?
The usual shape is x-1-3-3-2-1 (barre). All 4 guitar shapes.
How do you play B♭m on piano?
Play B♭, D♭ and F with right-hand fingers 1-3-5. B♭ sits on the last black key of the group of three. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play B♭m on ukulele?
3-1-1-1 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is B♭m in?
In major keys, B♭m is ii in A♭ major, iii in F♯ major and vi in D♭ major. In minor keys it is i in B♭ minor, iv in F minor and v in E♭ minor.
What's the difference between B♭m and B♭?
B♭m and B♭ differ by one note: D♭ in B♭m, D in B♭. They share B♭ and F.
All three instruments are drawn and played from B♭, D♭ and F by the same engine. Updated September 2026.