B♭add9 chord
B♭add9 is B♭, D, F and C: 1–3–5–9 built on B♭. See and hear it on all three instruments below.
On guitar
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
B♭add9 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · B♭–D–F–C · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- B♭ · D · F · C
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
B♭add9 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
3-2-1-3 · movable · medium
- Notes
- B♭ · D · F · C
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- First shape
- 3-2-1-3
Changing out of B♭add9
The moves below are the ones you'll meet most, shown for guitar and piano.
- B♭add9 → E♭ (IV in B♭ major)
Guitar: 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.
Piano: B♭add9 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♭add9 → F (V in B♭ major)
Guitar: 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.
Piano: B♭add9 to F: play F in root position (F–A–C) and F and C stay under the same fingers, while D moves up to A. F - B♭add9 → Gm (vi in B♭ major)
Guitar: 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.
Piano: B♭add9 to Gm: play Gm in 1st inversion (B♭–D–G) and B♭ and D stay under the same fingers, while F moves up to G. Gm
Guitar with a capo: capo 6, Eadd9 shape.
How B♭add9 is built
B♭add9 is B♭ major with the ninth (the note a whole step above the root, an octave up) added. It keeps the bright major sound and adds a shimmer; guitarists love it because the open shapes ring.
From B♭, go 4 half steps up to D, 3 half steps up to F then 7 half steps up to C. Written with flats or sharps the other way round it's A♯add9; the sound is identical.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| B♭ | root | 0 | |
| D | major third | 4 | |
| F | perfect fifth | 7 | |
| C | ninth | 14 |
Keys and progressions with B♭add9
B♭add9 sits outside the seven chords of every major and natural minor key, so expect it as a color or passing chord.
Chords close to B♭add9
Chords that share most of their notes with B♭add9: B♭9, Fsus4, B♭, B♭sus2, Dm7, Dm7♭5.
Every B♭ chord
B♭add9 chord: questions
What notes are in the B♭add9 chord?
B♭, D, F and C. B♭add9 is built 1–3–5–9 from B♭: D is the major third, F is the perfect fifth and C is the ninth.
How do you play B♭add9 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-1-0-3-1-1 (open). All 3 guitar shapes.
How do you play B♭add9 on piano?
Play B♭, D, F and C with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. B♭ sits on the last black key of the group of three. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play B♭add9 on ukulele?
3-2-1-3 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is B♭add9 in?
B♭add9 sits outside the seven chords of every major and natural minor key, so expect it as a color or passing chord.
What's the difference between B♭add9 and B♭?
B♭add9 is B♭ plus C.
Diagrams and sound come from the same data, tested so they match. Updated September 2026.