Chords in the key of B♭ major
The key of B♭ major has two flats (B♭, E♭). Its seven chords are B♭, Cm, Dm, E♭, F, Gm and Adim. Tap any of them, or play them in order.
Tap a numeral to hear one chord; tap a shape to open it.
The chords that do most of the work
Most songs in B♭ major live on four chords: B♭, E♭, F and Gm. Cm is the usual way into F, Dm adds a softer color, and Adim, the diminished chord, mostly appears as a passing chord.
Key signature
B♭ major has two flats (B♭, E♭), printed once at the start of each staff. Flat keys add one flat per step counterclockwise around the circle of fifths: B♭ major sits between F major and E♭ major.
The notes of the key are the B♭ major scale: B♭ C D E♭ F G A. Relative minor: G minor (same notes). Parallel minor: B♭ minor (same starting note).
Progressions in B♭ major
The progression player below starts in B♭ major. Change the key to hear the same pattern anywhere; the numerals stay the same.
In B♭ major, 4 beats per chord. Open in the progression builder
- IB♭
- VF
- viGm
- IVE♭
| Progression | In B♭ major | |
|---|---|---|
| I–V–vi–IV the pop progression | B♭ – F – Gm – E♭ | |
| I–IV–V the three-chord progression | B♭ – E♭ – F – B♭ | |
| I–vi–IV–V the 50s progression | B♭ – Gm – E♭ – F | |
| ii–V–I the jazz cadence | Cm7 – F7 – B♭maj7 – B♭maj7 | |
| vi–IV–I–V the minor-feel pop loop | Gm – E♭ – B♭ – F | |
| I–IV–vi–V the lift | B♭ – E♭ – Gm – F | |
| I–vi–ii–V the turnaround | B♭ – Gm – Cm – F | |
| I–iii–IV–V the stepwise climb | B♭ – Dm – E♭ – F | |
| I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V the Canon progression | B♭ – F – Gm – Dm – E♭ – B♭ – E♭ – F | |
| I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars) the 12-bar blues | B♭7 – B♭7 – B♭7 – B♭7 – E♭7 – E♭7 – B♭7 – B♭7 – F7 – E♭7 – B♭7 – F7 |
Making B♭ major chords pull harder
A secondary dominant is the dominant seventh chord a fifth above any chord of the key. Play it just before that chord and the arrival sounds stronger, as if the song briefly changed key.
- V7 of ii
- V7 of iii
- V7 of IV
- V7 of V
- V7 of vi
Mixing major and minor
Major-key songs often darken for a moment by taking chords from B♭ minor: E♭m (iv), F♯ (♭VI), A♭ (♭VII) and C♯ (♭III). The minor iv (E♭m) is the classic bittersweet move before returning to B♭.
Seventh chords in B♭ major
Stack one more third on each triad for the seventh chords: B♭maj7, Cm7, Dm7, E♭maj7, F7, Gm7 and Am7♭5. F7 is the only dominant seventh, which is why it pulls so strongly to B♭.
Playing in B♭ major on guitar
B♭ major is awkward in open position, so most guitarists use a capo: capo 1st fret with A major shapes, capo 3rd fret with G major shapes or capo 6th fret with E major shapes. Barre chords work too.
Transpose a chord chart · How a capo works
Other keys
Key of B♭ major: questions
What chords are in the key of B♭ major?
B♭, Cm, Dm, E♭, F, Gm and Adim. As numerals: I = B♭, ii = Cm, iii = Dm, IV = E♭, V = F, vi = Gm, vii° = Adim.
How many sharps or flats are in B♭ major?
Two flats (B♭, E♭).
What is the relative minor of B♭ major?
G minor. It uses the same key signature; the difference is which chord feels like home.
What are the I, IV and V chords in B♭ major?
B♭ (I), E♭ (IV) and F (V). Those three chords are enough for thousands of songs.
How do I play in B♭ major on guitar with a capo?
Capo 1st fret, then play A major shapes (A, E, F♯m, D); they sound as B♭, F, Gm, E♭.
Every chord and progression on this page is computed from the B♭ major scale and checked by the site's theory tests. Updated September 2026.