As the ii in a ii-V-IA♭ major
- ii9B♭m9
- V7E♭7
- Imaj7A♭maj7
The standard cadence: B♭m9 carries the subdominant function before the dominant arrives.
B♭m9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♭m9 chord is a minor ninth chord built on the root note B♭. Its notes are B♭, D♭, F, A♭ and C. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♯m9.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Minor ninth chords are smooth, cool and slightly melancholy. The ninth widens a minor seventh into something more spacious, which is why it anchors so much modern R&B, house and jazz comping.
- Notes
- B♭ · D♭ · F · A♭ · C
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10 · 14
- Note
- B♭
- Quality
- Minor 9
- Symbol
- B♭m9
B♭m9 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B♭m9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B♭, index finger on C, middle finger on D♭, ring finger on F and little finger on A♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard B♭, D♭ and A♭ are black keys and 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
- D♭♭3
- F5
- A♭♭7
B♭m9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♭m9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 3: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
B♭ · D♭ · F · A♭ · C
Try B♭m9 on the virtual piano
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B♭m9 chord notes
Also known as A♯m9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♭(Bb) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | D♭(Db) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | A♭(Ab) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | C |
How to use the B♭m9 chord
The B♭m9 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and a major ninth. Start at the root B♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B♭, D♭, F, A♭ and C. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor ninth chords stand in for minor sevenths as the ii chord in a ii-V-I, or as the tonic of a minor groove. Neo-soul, house, jazz and R&B use them as the default minor colour.
How B♭m9 differs from similar chords
B♭m9 adds a major ninth to B♭m7, which sets it apart from a minor triad with only an added ninth and from B♭9, which has a major third. Its upper four notes form the major seventh chord a minor third above the root.
Where B♭m9 is used
A minor chord works as the tonic of its own key, and as the vi or the ii of a major one. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B♭m9 chord?
- The B♭m9 chord contains B♭, D♭, F, A♭ and C (Bb, Db, F, Ab and C in plain text).
- Is the B♭m9 chord major or minor?
- B♭m9 is a minor ninth chord. Minor ninth chords are smooth, cool and slightly melancholy. The ninth widens a minor seventh into something more spacious, which is why it anchors so much modern R&B, house and jazz comping.
- How do you play B♭m9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on B♭, D♭, F, A♭ 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♭, D♭ and A♭ are black keys and 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♭m9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 3: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the B♭m9 chord?
- B♭m9 is enharmonically equivalent to A♯m9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.