B♭add9 chord on guitar

B♭add9 is B♭, D, F and C. The usual shape is x-1-0-3-1-1. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

x-1-0-3-1-1 · open · medium

Notes: B♭ · D · F · C
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
First shape: x-1-0-3-1-1

How to play B♭add9 on guitar

Shape 1, x-1-0-3-1-1, reading from the low E string on the left:

B♭: index finger, 1st fret of the A string.
C: middle finger, 1st fret of the B string.
F: ring finger, 1st fret of the high E string.
B♭: pinky finger, 3rd fret of the G string.
Leave the D string open: D.
Strum from the A string down; the low E string stays silent.

If an open string sounds dead, a fingertip is leaning on it. Come down more on the tips, with your knuckles bent.
Your little finger has a job in this shape; it gets stronger in a week or two of short daily practice.

Other ways to play B♭add9

x-13-12-10-13-x: movable shape at the 10th fret, medium. This is the open Aadd9 shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.
x-x-8-7-6-8: movable shape at the 6th fret, medium. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.

B♭add9 the capo way

A capo turns an open chord into B♭add9: capo on the 6th fret and play the open Eadd9 shape (0-2-4-1-0-0). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

Moving between B♭add9 and its neighbours

Songs rarely hold B♭add9 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

E♭ (IV in B♭ major): B♭add9 (x-1-0-3-1-1) to E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3): the index finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the high E string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. The two chords share B♭, which is why the change sounds smooth. E♭ on guitar
F (V in B♭ major): B♭add9 (x-1-0-3-1-1) 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. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. F and C carry over from one chord to the other. F on guitar
Gm (vi in B♭ major): B♭add9 (x-1-0-3-1-1) 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. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. The two chords share B♭ and D, which is why the change sounds smooth. Gm on guitar

B♭add9 is B♭ major with the ninth (the note a whole step above the root, an octave up) added. B♭add9 keeps the major sound and adds sparkle, which makes it a drop-in replacement for B♭ in quiet passages. On guitar you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

Practice B♭add9 in two minutes

Before strumming, play x-1-0-3-1-1 note by note: B♭ then D then B♭ then C then F. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate x-1-0-3-1-1 and x-13-12-10-13-x, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

Written A♯add9, it's the same chord with the same frets.

Keys and progressions with B♭add9

B♭add9 on piano and ukulele

The same notes on another instrument: B♭add9 on piano and B♭add9 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.

Next to try on guitar

Other add 9 chords

B♭add9 on guitar: questions

What notes are in B♭add9 on guitar?

B♭, D, F and C. In the x-1-0-3-1-1 shape the strings play B♭ (A string), D (D string, open), B♭ (G string), C (B string) and F (high E string), so B♭ is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play B♭add9 on guitar?

B♭add9 takes a little stretching on guitar; start with x-1-0-3-1-1. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, with open strings, and a capo is worth trying when the song allows.

Is B♭add9 a barre chord on guitar?

Not in its common form: x-1-0-3-1-1 needs no barre.

Which string does B♭add9 start on?

In the x-1-0-3-1-1 shape the lowest string you play is the A string at the 1st fret, which is B♭, the root. Skip the low E string.

Every shape above plays only B♭, D, F and C, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.