B♭9 chord on guitar
B♭9 (B flat dominant 9th) is a dominant 9th chord built on B♭. It has 5 notes, B♭, D, F, A♭ and C, and its formula is 1 3 5 ♭7 9.
Notes and intervals of B♭9
From the root upwards, B♭9 contains root (B♭), major 3rd (D), perfect 5th (F), minor 7th (A♭) and major 9th (C). Those intervals give the chord its colour: the formula 1 3 5 ♭7 9 works the same way in every key, so once you know it for B♭ you can build the chord on any note.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | B♭ |
| 3 | major 3rd | D |
| 5 | perfect 5th | F |
| ♭7 | minor 7th | A♭ |
| 9 | major 9th | C |
How to play B♭9 on guitar
The first shape above reads x 1 0 1 1 1 from the low E string to the high E string (x means you do not play that string, 0 is an open string). The lowest note you play is B♭. The other diagrams show the same chord higher up the neck: pick the one closest to the chords before and after it in your song.
Let the open strings ring: strum slowly once and check that every note sounds clean before you speed up.
Which keys use B♭9?
B♭9 is not built from the notes of a single major key, so it usually appears as a colour chord: a borrowed chord, a passing chord or a suspension that resolves to the next chord.
Scales to play over B♭9
To improvise over B♭9, start with B flat Mixolydian mode. All of these scales contain every note of the chord: B flat Mixolydian mode. Aim for the chord notes on strong beats and use the other notes to move between them.
About dominant 9th chords
A dominant seventh with a 9th on top: 1 3 5 ♭7 9. It keeps the tension of the 7 chord but sounds fuller, smoother and funkier, as the major ninth softens the tritone between 3 and ♭7. It belongs to the extended chords, built by stacking thirds beyond the seventh. For example C9: C E G B♭ D.
Use it wherever a V7 works: V9 to I, the dominant in ii7 V9 Imaj7, and every chord of a blues (I9 IV9 V9). Funk can sit on one 9 chord for a whole groove, and soul, gospel and jazz use it as a richer dominant. In minor keys, V7♭9 is more common than V9, because the scale has a ♭6.
The standard shape has the root on the 5th string, then the 3, ♭7 and 9 on the next three strings (for example C9 x3233x, with the 5th added on top as x32333). The open E9 (020102) is a blues classic. Funk players play the top three or four strings of the shape with tight sixteenth-note strums.
9 is not add9: a 9 chord has the ♭7, an add9 does not. 9 is not maj9 either: maj9 has the major seventh and a calm, non-dominant sound. And the 9 is a major ninth; ♭9 and ♯9 (as in E7♯9, the 'Hendrix chord') are altered versions with their own symbols.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the B♭9 chord?
B♭9 (B flat dominant 9th) contains B♭, D, F, A♭ and C. In intervals: root (B♭), major 3rd (D), perfect 5th (F), minor 7th (A♭) and major 9th (C).
How do you play B♭9 on guitar?
The easiest shape is x 1 0 1 1 1, from the low E string to the high E string. This page shows 3 positions with finger numbers.
What scale goes with B♭9?
B flat Mixolydian mode fits B♭9 best. Other scales that contain all its notes: B flat Mixolydian mode.
What key is B♭9 in?
B♭9 does not belong to a single major key. It is used as a colour chord that borrows notes from outside the key.
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