As the tonic (I)B♭ major
Home. The loop leaves B♭add9 and keeps coming back to it.
B♭add9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♭add9 chord is a added ninth chord built on the root note B♭. Its notes are B♭, D, F and C. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♯add9.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Added ninth chords are open and shimmering. Unlike a ninth chord they leave the seventh out, so the added second degree colours the triad without any of the tension a dominant brings, a favourite of pop and worship guitarists.
- Notes
- B♭ · D · F · C
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 14
- Note
- B♭
- Quality
- Added 9
- Symbol
- B♭add9
B♭add9 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B♭add9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B♭, index finger on C, middle finger on D and little finger on F. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard B♭ is a black key and D, F and C are white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B♭1
- C9
- D3
- F5
B♭add9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♭add9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. String 4 rings open. Don't play string 6.
B♭ · D · F · C
Try B♭add9 on the virtual piano
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B♭add9 chord notes
Also known as A♯add9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♭(Bb) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | C |
How to use the B♭add9 chord
The B♭add9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth and a major ninth. Start at the root B♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B♭, D, F and C. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Added ninth chords replace plain major chords when a part needs air, especially in fingerpicked guitar and piano pads. They are everywhere in pop ballads, worship music and indie rock.
How B♭add9 differs from similar chords
B♭add9 adds a ninth to B♭ and leaves the seventh out, which is exactly what separates it from B♭9 and B♭maj9. Unlike B♭sus2, it keeps the major third, so it stays clearly major. The ninth is the same note as the second, only an octave higher.
Where B♭add9 is used
A major chord is at home as a tonic, and just as useful as the IV or the V of a neighbouring key. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B♭add9 chord?
- The B♭add9 chord contains B♭, D, F and C (Bb, D, F and C in plain text).
- Is the B♭add9 chord major or minor?
- B♭add9 is a added ninth chord. Added ninth chords are open and shimmering. Unlike a ninth chord they leave the seventh out, so the added second degree colours the triad without any of the tension a dominant brings, a favourite of pop and worship guitarists.
- How do you play B♭add9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on B♭, D, F and C and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard B♭ is a black key and D, F and C are white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play B♭add9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. String 4 rings open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♭add9 chord?
- B♭add9 is enharmonically equivalent to A♯add9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.