B♭9 chord on ukulele

B♭9 is B♭, D, F, A♭ and C. The usual shape is 3-2-4-3. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.

3-2-4-3 · movable · medium

Notes: B♭ · D · F · A♭ · C
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
First shape: 3-2-4-3

How to play B♭9 on ukulele

Shape 1, 3-2-4-3, reading from the G string on the left, starts at the 2nd fret:

Put your index finger on the C string at the 2nd fret, which is D.
Put your middle finger on the G string at the 3rd fret, which is B♭.
Put your ring finger on the A string at the 3rd fret, which is C.
Put your pinky finger on the E string at the 4th fret, which is A♭.

Your little finger has a job in this shape; it gets stronger in a week or two of short daily practice.
Strum with the pad of your index finger or thumb, all four strings, across the spot where the neck meets the body.

Other ways to play B♭9

5-8-6-5: movable shape at the 5th fret, medium. Same notes, stacked differently, so it sounds a little different.

B♭9 chord changes

The chords B♭9 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

E♭ (dominant, pulls to the chord a fifth below): B♭9 (3-2-4-3) to E♭ (0-3-3-1): the index finger goes to the A string, 1st fret, the middle finger slides across to the C string at the same fret, the ring finger slides across to the E string at the same 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♭, which is why the change sounds smooth. E♭ on ukulele
E♭maj7 (I in E♭ major): B♭9 (3-2-4-3) to E♭maj7 (3-3-3-5): your index finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret, the middle finger slides across to the C string at the same fret, the ring finger slides across to the E string at the same fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Shared notes: B♭ and D. E♭maj7 on ukulele
Cm7 (vi in E♭ major): B♭9 (3-2-4-3) to Cm7 (3-3-3-3): your index finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret, the middle finger slides across to the C string at the same fret, the ring finger slides across to the E string at the same fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. B♭ and C carry over from one chord to the other. Cm7 on ukulele

B♭9 is a dominant ninth: B♭7 with the ninth on top. With four strings, shape 1 leaves out the perfect fifth (F); the ear fills it in, and the chord still reads as B♭9. The usual guitar shape, x-1-0-1-1-1, has room for all of them. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

A short B♭9 drill

Before strumming, play 3-2-4-3 note by note: B♭ then D then A♭ then C. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Then switch to 5-8-6-5 and back four times without looking at your hand.

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

B♭9 in context

B♭9 on guitar and piano

B♭9 on guitar and piano uses the same 5 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Close to B♭9

Other dominant ninth chords

B♭9 on ukulele: questions

What notes are in B♭9 on ukulele?

B♭, D, F, A♭ and C. In the 3-2-4-3 shape the strings play B♭ (G string), D (C string), A♭ (E string) and C (A string).

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

In standard tuning B♭9 can't use open strings. Begin with 3-2-4-3. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is B♭9 a barre chord on ukulele?

Not the usual shape: 3-2-4-3 needs no barre.

Which string does B♭9 start on?

In the 3-2-4-3 shape the lowest string you play is the G string at the 3rd fret, which is B♭, the root.

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes B♭, D, F, A♭ and C and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.