B♭9 chord on guitar

B♭9 is B♭, D, F, A♭ and C. The usual shape is x-1-0-1-1-1. Hit Play and watch each string light as it sounds.

x-1-0-1-1-1 · open · medium

Notes: B♭ · D · F · A♭ · C
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
First shape: x-1-0-1-1-1

How to play B♭9 on guitar

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

Index finger: A string, 1st fret (B♭).
Middle finger: G string, 1st fret (A♭).
Ring finger: B string, 1st fret (C).
Pinky: high E string, 1st fret (F).
Let the open D string ring (D).
Don't play the low E string: start your strum on the A string.

Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.
This shape uses your pinky. It feels weak at first; press with the tip and let the finger stay curved.

Other ways to play B♭9

6-8-6-7-6-8: barre shape at the 6th fret, medium. Built on the E9 open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
x-13-10-13-11-10: partial barre shape at the 10th fret, medium. Higher up the neck it sounds brighter; handy when another guitar is already playing a lower shape.

B♭9 the capo way

A capo turns an open chord into B♭9: capo on the 6th fret and play the open E9 shape (0-2-0-1-0-2). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

B♭9 chord changes

Songs rarely hold B♭9 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

E♭ (dominant, pulls to the chord a fifth below): B♭9 (x-1-0-1-1-1) 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, move the ring finger to the high E string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Listen for B♭, which stays put while the rest moves. E♭ on guitar
E♭maj7 (I in E♭ major): B♭9 (x-1-0-1-1-1) to E♭maj7 (x-x-1-3-3-3): the index finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret, move the ring finger to the B string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. B♭ and D carry over from one chord to the other. E♭maj7 on guitar
Cm7 (vi in E♭ major): B♭9 (x-1-0-1-1-1) to Cm7 (x-3-5-3-4-3): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 3rd fret, your middle finger lands on the B string, 4th fret, the ring finger goes to the D string, 5th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share B♭ and C, which is why the change sounds smooth. Cm7 on guitar

B♭9 is a dominant ninth: B♭7 with the ninth on top. B♭9 is the funk and soul version of B♭7, fuller on top and still pulling toward its resolution. On guitar you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

Practice B♭9 in two minutes

Before strumming, play x-1-0-1-1-1 note by note: B♭ then D then A♭ then C then F. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate x-1-0-1-1-1 and 6-8-6-7-6-8, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

A♯9 is another spelling of B♭9. Same shape, same sound.

B♭9 in context

B♭9 on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try B♭9 on ukulele or B♭9 on piano, or compare them on the B♭9 chord page.

Next to try on guitar

Other dominant ninth chords

B♭9 on guitar: questions

What notes are in B♭9 on guitar?

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

What's the easiest way to play B♭9 on guitar?

None of the B♭9 shapes is a true beginner shape, but x-1-0-1-1-1 comes closest. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, with open strings, and a capo is worth trying when the song allows.

Is B♭9 a barre chord on guitar?

Not in its common form: x-1-0-1-1-1 needs no barre. There are barre versions further up the neck, shown below it.

Which string does B♭9 start on?

In the x-1-0-1-1-1 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, A♭ and C, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.