B♭m chord on piano
The B♭m chord, or B flat minor, stacks 3 notes on B♭: B♭, D♭ and F. Musicians write its formula 1 ♭3 5.
Notes and intervals of B♭m
Each note of B♭m has a job. Counted from the root, you get root (B♭), minor 3rd (D♭) and perfect 5th (F). Change one of these intervals and you get a different chord, which is why the formula 1 ♭3 5 is worth memorising rather than the shape alone.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | B♭ |
| ♭3 | minor 3rd | D♭ |
| 5 | perfect 5th | F |
How to play B♭m on piano
Put your right-hand thumb on B♭, then add the other notes: B♭, D♭ and F. Teachers usually suggest the fingering 1-3-5 (left hand: 5-3-1). Press the keys together, release, and repeat until the chord sounds even.
Inversions of B♭m
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts another one in the bass. B♭m has 2 inversions besides root position: 1st inversion (D♭ F B♭) and 2nd inversion (F B♭ D♭). Inversions let you move between chords with tiny hand movements, which is how pianists make progressions sound smooth.
Which keys use B♭m?
B♭m appears naturally in 3 major keys: D flat major (vi), A flat major (ii) and G flat major (iii). In D flat major it is the vi chord, so you will meet it in many songs written in that key and in its relative minor.
Scales to play over B♭m
These scales share every note of B♭m: B flat natural minor scale, B flat harmonic minor scale, B flat melodic minor scale, B flat minor pentatonic scale, B flat blues scale, B flat Dorian mode and B flat Phrygian mode. B flat natural minor scale is the safest choice; the others add more colour.
About minor chords
The minor chord swaps the major third for a minor third: 1 ♭3 5. That single semitone makes the sound darker, softer and more inward. Minor does not have to mean sad: in funk, Latin music or rock it can sound tough or cool, and it can end a piece just as convincingly as a major chord.
It is the tonic of minor keys (i) and appears on ii, iii and vi in major keys. Typical moves: i iv V (the major V borrowed from harmonic minor), i ♭VI ♭VII, and vi IV I V. Every major chord has a relative minor a minor third below that shares two of its notes.
Take the major chord and lower the middle note by one semitone. Fingering 1 3 5 in the right hand, 5 3 1 in the left. Practise all three positions (root position, first and second inversion), then play a minor progression such as i iv V choosing the closest inversion each time, keeping common notes under the same fingers.
Reading the symbol wrong is common: 'm' or '-' means minor, while 'M' or 'maj' means major, so Am and AM are different chords. On guitar, the minor third often lies on a string that is easy to mute in a barre. And m is not m7: the 7 adds a fourth note, the minor seventh.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the B♭m chord?
B♭m (B flat minor) contains B♭, D♭ and F. In intervals: root (B♭), minor 3rd (D♭) and perfect 5th (F).
How do you play B♭m on piano?
Play B♭, D♭ and F together with the right-hand fingering 1-3-5. You can also play it in 2 inversions, shown on this page.
What scale goes with B♭m?
B flat natural minor scale fits B♭m best. Other scales that contain all its notes: B flat harmonic minor scale, B flat melodic minor scale, B flat minor pentatonic scale, B flat blues scale, B flat Dorian mode and B flat Phrygian mode.
What key is B♭m in?
B♭m belongs to D flat major (vi), A flat major (ii) and G flat major (iii). In D flat major it is the vi chord.
Related
- See B♭m on guitar
- D♭
- Fm
- E♭m
- F7
- B♭
- B♭7
- B♭maj7
- B♭m7
- B♭sus4
- B flat natural minor scale
- B flat harmonic minor scale
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