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B♭9 Chord on Guitar

B♭9 is the B♭ dominant 9th chord — 5 notes (B♭, D, F, A♭, C) built from the formula 1 3 5 ♭7 9. Below are playable shapes across the fretboard, the keys it belongs to and the scales to use when soloing over it.

Notes: B♭ · D · F · A♭ · CFormula: 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9Hear it and see it on the fretboard ▸

B♭9: Chord shapes (open & barre)

  • B♭9 – open position×R3♭795open position
  • B♭9 – fret 33R95R3♭7fret 3
  • B♭9 – fret 55R3♭795×fret 5
  • B♭9 – fret 66R5♭7359fret 6
  • B♭9 – fret 77××R3♭79fret 7
  • B♭9 – fret 1010×R9♭7R3fret 10
  • B♭9 – fret 1212×R3♭79×fret 12

B♭9: Shell voicings (jazz)

  • B♭9 – R-3-75R3♭7×××R-3-7
  • B♭9 – R-3-712×R3♭7××R-3-7
  • B♭9 – R-7-36R×♭73××R-7-3
  • B♭9 – R-7-3×R×♭73×R-7-3

Keys that contain B♭9

Scales to play over B♭9

Ordered from the most common choice. All of them contain B♭, D, F, A♭, C.

Other B♭ chords

Triads

Sevenths

Sixths

Added

Extended

Dominant 9th chords in other keys

FAQ

What notes are in the B♭9 chord?
B♭9 (B♭ dominant 9th) contains B♭, D, F, A♭, C — formula 1 3 5 ♭7 9.
How do you play B♭9 on guitar?
A common shape is x10111 (low E to high E, x = muted string, open position). This page shows more shapes, drop 2, drop 3 and shell voicings in the interactive library.
What scale goes with B♭9?
Good choices to solo over B♭9: B♭ Mixolydian, B♭ Lydian dominant, B♭ Mixolydian ♭6.
What key is B♭9 in?
B♭9 is diatonic in E♭ major (V9), C minor (♭VII9).