Major chord · Bb root
Bb chord
- Bb1
- D3
- F5
The Bb major chord (also called the A# chord — same notes, different spelling) is built from the notes Bb, D, F. It turns up 4 times in the 104 songs on this site, including Hey Jude.
By Chiye · Updated
What is the Bb chord?
The Bb chord (Bb major) is a major chord built from three notes: Bb, D, F — the 1–3–5 of the Bb scale, 4 semitones and 7 semitones above the root. On guitar it is most often played as a movable shape from fret 1 (x-1-3-3-3-1); shift all fretted notes together to transpose it along the neck. It is rated intermediate. The bright, home-base sound that most songs resolve to. Across the 104 song sheets in this site's library, Bb appears 4 times in 1 song, most often in the key of F, and the chord it most often moves to is F. Below you will find step-by-step fingering, 4 positions up the neck, audio of every shape, and the real progressions this chord lives inside.
How do you play the Bb chord on guitar?
Fret 1 barre — a movable shape, so this same fingering works for every root note.
- Lay your index finger flat across the A to high E strings at fret 1, rolled slightly onto its bony edge.
- Lay your ring finger flat across the D to B strings at fret 3, rolled slightly onto its bony edge.
- Start your strum on the A string and do not play the low E string at all.
Leave out the lowest fretted note (A string) and practise the remaining strings. The bass changes, and the upper strings may still need a smaller barre; check that the third and other colour tones stay clear. x-x-3-3-3-1
How do you make Bb sound clean?
Bb needs the A-shape barre with the ring finger flattening across three strings — the usual failure is that finger curling.
Bb → Eb → F: the I–IV–V of Bb. If it buzzes, move the whole thing up two frets to C and copy that feel.
In real songs
What songs use the Bb chord?
- chord changes
- 4
- songs
- 1
- common keys
- F
Across the 104 chord sheets on this site, Bb appears 4 times in 1 song — most often in the key of F.
Chord flow
What chord comes after Bb?
Every number here is a count from the progressions in our song sheets, not a generalisation: 1879 chord changes are behind these figures.
Three-chord moves
Three-chord moves are where a chord really shows its character. These are the ones that actually happen in this library, counted from the sheets:
What other ways can you play Bb up the neck?
3 more positions below. Learn one of these well and the rest become optional. The value of a second position is practical: it keeps your fretting hand near where the song is already heading.
Position 2 · Fret 3 barre
Because nothing rings open, you can move this whole shape to any fret and it keeps the same quality — only the letter name changes.
A single bar covers the rest of the strings here. If the inside strings stay dead, move the bar a millimetre closer to the fret wire before you try pressing harder.
Position 3 · Fret 6 barre
Because nothing rings open, you can move this whole shape to any fret and it keeps the same quality — only the letter name changes.
A single bar covers the rest of the strings here. If the inside strings stay dead, move the bar a millimetre closer to the fret wire before you try pressing harder.
Position 4 · Fret 8
Because nothing rings open, you can move this whole shape to any fret and it keeps the same quality — only the letter name changes.
Up at fret 8 the frets are close together, so use a lighter touch than you would in the open position — squeezing here pulls the notes sharp.
The theory behind Bb
Bb is spelled Bb – D – F — the 1 – 3 – 5 of the Bb scale, which is the root plus 4 semitones, 7 semitones. The bright, home-base sound that most songs resolve to.
The third is the note that makes it major, so it decides the character: keep it on top and Bb sounds bright, drop it below the fifth and the same notes sound rounder. On guitar that is a matter of which string you put it on, which is exactly what the different positions on this page do.
What key is the Bb chord in?
Bb is the I chord in the key of Bb major, the IV chord in F major and the V chord in Eb major — the three major keys where Bb appears naturally.
the home chord — songs resolve here
the subdominant — the chord that leaves home
the dominant — the chord that pulls back home
Bb on other instruments
Bb – D – F — the highlighted black keys are the sharps or flats; play each note once, then move them into one hand position.
Take it to the practice room
