Bb, also written A#, is the B flat major chord, made of the notes Bb D F. Most guitarists play it as X 1 3 3 3 1, a barre chord at fret 1. Below are all 6 ways to hold Bb on the guitar, from the lowest on the neck to the highest, and the same chord in Drop D and DADGAD. The TabTunix app plays each one. Check out our full chord library.
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BbA#
X 1 3 3 3 1
Notes
Degrees: R 3 5. Notes: Bb D F.
RBb
3D
5F
Tuning
Inversions
Voicings
How to play Bb
The shape most players use is X 1 3 3 3 1, from the lowest string to the highest. Hold it like this:
Lay your index finger flat across the five strings from the A to the high E string at fret 1.
Put your middle finger on the D string at fret 3.
Put your ring finger on the G string at fret 3.
Put your little finger on the B string at fret 3.
Do not play the low E string.
Bb is a barre chord on the fifth string: the barre starts on the A string, and the low E string is not played.
BbA#
X 1 3 3 3 1
6 ways to play Bb
Every shape the chord library holds for Bb in standard tuning, from low on the neck to high. In each one Bb is the lowest note; they differ in where your hand sits and in which strings ring.
Bbadd9, held as X 1 0 3 1 X, often stands in for Bb. It needs no barre and three fingers. It is a different chord: it adds C to Bb, D and F, so it sounds close to Bb but not the same.
A chord is yours when you can change to it in time. In TabTunix, put Bb and the chord before it into a chord-change exercise, set a target tempo, and play the change to a click that counts you through it. Rate each take, and the app keeps your best tempo, so you see it climb.
Bb, D and F. As degrees they are R 3 5: the root, the major third and the fifth.
Yes. In the shape most players use, X 1 3 3 3 1, your index finger lies across the five strings from the A to the high E string at fret 1. Without a barre you can hold it as X X 8 10 11 10, a closed shape at fret 8.
Bbadd9, held as X 1 0 3 1 X, often stands in for Bb. It is a different chord: it adds C to Bb, D and F, and it needs no barre.
Bb is V in Eb major, IV in F major and I in Bb major, and it belongs to 3 more keys, listed above.
In Drop D you hold Bb as in Standard: X 1 3 3 3 1.