Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
  • Guitars
  • Amps
  • Pedals
  • Drums
  • Synths
  • Software
  • Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Recording
  • Buyer’s guides
  • Live
  • DJ
  • Advice
  • Acoustic
  • Bass
  • About us
  • More
    • Reviews
Magazines
  • Computer Music
  • Electronic Musician
  • Future Music
  • Keyboard Magazine
  • Guitarist (opens in new tab)
  • Guitar Techniques (opens in new tab)
  • Total Guitar (opens in new tab)
  • Bass Player (opens in new tab)
More
  • Free music samples
  • Best free music-making software
  • Best electric guitars 2023

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. Tuition
  3. Guitarist

Guitar chord vocab: B flat major

By Adrian Clark
( Guitarist )
published 25 September 2015

Perk up your Bb shapes with these cunning ideas

  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
Bb barre

Bb barre

Chords in ‘flat’ keys tend to be limited to the same old movable shapes that you’ve seen before, but you can find some exceptions if you’re crafty.

Here's the standard Bb barre we all know and love.

Page 1 of 4
Page 1 of 4
Bbadd9

Bbadd9

Here’s another chord using the same shape as Bm11 and G6add9 (no 3rd). This one will also work together with the G.

Page 2 of 4
Page 2 of 4
Bbmaj9#11

Bbmaj9#11

This one’s a bit more mysterious-sounding and has a couple of open strings, unusual for a Bb chord. Be careful, however, as the #11 could easily clash with other chords in a song.

Page 3 of 4
Page 3 of 4
Bb6add9

Bb6add9

This chord’s upbeat sound is reminiscent of Gypsy jazz or western swing. It works well as an arpeggio, too.

Page 4 of 4
Page 4 of 4
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
Adrian Clark
Social Links Navigation
  1. Warm Audio Centavo
    1
    Warm Audio Centavo Professional Overdrive Pedal review
  2. 2
    The Oberheim DMX drum machine is set to ride again as Behringer wheels out its BMX “homage”
  3. 3
    A firmware update for the cut-price Yamaha DX9 synth makes it more like a DX7
  4. 4
    Fender and session ace Michael Landau team up for the Coma Stratocaster – a bespoke electric guitar for all occasions
  5. 5
    Bruce Foxton of The Jam's 11 career-defining songs: "Start isn’t exactly the same as Taxman... otherwise I’m sure Paul McCartney would have thought about suing us!"
  1. Behringer BMX drum machine
    1
    The Oberheim DMX drum machine is set to ride again as Behringer wheels out its BMX “homage”
  2. 2
    Warm Audio Centavo Professional Overdrive Pedal review
  3. 3
    Bad Bunny sued by ex-girlfriend for $40m after sampling voice memo in 2022's most successful album
  4. 4
    A firmware update for the cut-price Yamaha DX9 synth makes it more like a DX7
  5. 5
    Fender and session ace Michael Landau team up for the Coma Stratocaster – a bespoke electric guitar for all occasions

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab).

  • About Us (opens in new tab)
  • Terms and conditions (opens in new tab)
  • Privacy policy (opens in new tab)
  • Cookies policy (opens in new tab)
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers (opens in new tab)

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.