The Key of B♭ Major for Guitar
The key of B♭ major has the notes B♭ C D E♭ F G A, 2 flats (B♭ E♭), and its relative minor is G minor.
- Chords
- B♭ Cm Dm E♭ F Gm Adim
- Main three
- B♭ E♭ F
- Key signature of B♭ major
- 2 flats (B♭ E♭)
Chords in the key
Chords in B♭ major · moved from B♭ major · · tap to hear1 home chord of the key
35 on the 3rd and 5th
2 other degrees
Now sounding
Key · Capo
Showing: B♭ major (page key)No capo: you play B♭ major shapes as written.
Fretboard · B♭ major scale
Tap a dot to hear it; it lights amber while it sounds. Brightest dot = 1, the root (B♭). Lighter grey = 3 and 5. High e on top, frets 0 to 12, no capo. Swipe the board sideways for frets 7 to 12.
Progression · I–IV–V–I
Stopped. Four beats per chord, strum D D U D.
Chords in B♭ major, with notes
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | B♭ | B♭ D F |
| ii | Cm | C E♭ G |
| iii | Dm | D F A |
| IV | E♭ | E♭ G B♭ |
| V | F | F A C |
| vi | Gm | G B♭ D |
| vii° | Adim | A C E♭ |
Seventh chords in B♭ major
Add the next scale note a third above each triad and you get the four-note seventh chords of the key.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | B♭maj7 | B♭ D F A |
| ii7 | Cm7 | C E♭ G B♭ |
| iii7 | Dm7 | D F A C |
| IVmaj7 | E♭maj7 | E♭ G B♭ D |
| V7 | F7 | F A C E♭ |
| vi7 | Gm7 | G B♭ D F |
| viiø7 | Am7♭5 | A C E♭ G |
Shapes and voicings for every chord: chord directory.
Why B♭ major has 2 flats (B♭ E♭)
Every major scale uses the same step pattern: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. Start that pattern on B♭ and the notes land on B♭ C D E♭ F G A, so the key needs B♭ and E♭. On one string a whole step is two frets and a half step is one fret, up to the octave at fret 12.
B♭ major scale in first position
Every note of B♭ major in frets 0 to 4. Play one finger per fret: fret 1 = finger 1, fret 2 = finger 2, fret 3 = finger 3, fret 4 = finger 4, open strings need no finger. Start on the lowest root, B♭ on the 5th string, fret 1, and play up string by string.
Tap a dot to hear it. High e on top; the brightest dot is the root.
Past fret 4: B♭ major scale in every position up the neck, with play-along and a root drone. Pentatonic, blues and the modes work over these chords too: see all guitar scales.
Playing in B♭ on guitar
B♭ is a band key more than a guitar key. Trumpet, clarinet and tenor saxophone are B♭ instruments, so brass bands and jazz groups often play in B♭ and F, and a guitarist sitting in with them has to as well.
On its own the guitar finds B♭ awkward: Dm is the only open chord, and three of the six open strings (A, D and G) are in the scale. B♭ itself is the A-shape barre at fret 1, E♭ the A-shape barre at fret 6 or the E-shape at fret 11, F the E-shape at fret 1.
For jazz comping, closed shapes with no open strings do the job: B♭maj7 as x 1 3 2 3 x, Cm7 as x 3 5 3 4 3, F7 as 1 3 1 2 1 1. All three stay inside frets 1 to 5.
Common progressions in B♭ major
| Degrees | Chords | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| I–IV–V–I | B♭ E♭ F B♭ | B♭ E♭ F B♭: with capo 1 this is A D E, with capo 3 it is G C D. |
| I–vi–ii–V | B♭ Gm Cm F | B♭ Gm Cm F: the I–vi–ii–V turnaround. Jazz players call the 32-bar form built on it, usually in B♭, rhythm changes, after Gershwin's I Got Rhythm. |
| ii–V–I | Cm F B♭ B♭ | Cm F B♭: the ii–V–I in B♭, the core cadence of jazz harmony. |
| I–V–vi–IV | B♭ F Gm E♭ | B♭ F Gm E♭: the pop loop in B♭; capo 3 turns it into G D Em C. |
| vi–IV–I–V | Gm E♭ B♭ F | Gm E♭ B♭ F: the same loop from G minor, the relative minor. |
Pick one in the player above and press Play to strum along, four beats per chord.
Capo and B♭ major
Capo 1 with A shapes keeps the I, IV and V open (A, D, E). Capo 3 with G shapes gives the most open chords, and capo 6 with E shapes also sounds in B♭.
| Capo | B♭ shapes sound in |
|---|---|
| Fret 1 | B major |
| Fret 2 | C major |
| Fret 3 | D♭ major |
| Fret 4 | D major |
| Fret 5 | E♭ major |
| Fret 6 | E major |
| Fret 7 | F major |
Song in another key? Capo for B♭ major songs: the capo fret and easier shapes, or any other key.
New to the capo? How to use a capo: where to clamp it and why the same shapes sound in a new key.
Relative minor: G minor
G minor uses the same seven notes, starting on G, the 6th note of the scale. Its chord is the vi in the row above. Songs often move between the two keys without changing a single chord shape.
Have a recording and no idea what key it is in? Find the key of a song from the audio file or by letting it listen; it also gives the chords to play and the easiest capo.
Related keys
- The key of G minorrelative
- The key of B♭ minorparallel
- The key of E♭ majorcircle, one step left
- The key of F majorcircle, one step right
See how every key connects: interactive circle of fifths.
FAQ about B♭ major
What chords are in the key of B flat major?
B♭, Cm, Dm, E♭, F, Gm and Adim. B♭ (I), E♭ (IV) and F (V) are the main three.
Why is B flat major common in jazz and brass music?
Trumpet, clarinet and tenor saxophone are pitched in B♭: their written C sounds as B♭. Band charts are often written with that in mind, so flat keys like B♭ and F are everyday keys there.
How do I play in B flat with a capo?
Capo 1 and play A major shapes, or capo 3 and play G major shapes. Both sound in B♭ without a single barre for the main three chords.
What is the relative minor of B flat major?
G minor. It has the same two flats, B♭ and E♭.
Next steps in B♭ major
- Progressions in B♭ majorgenerate, hear and loop chord progressions in this key
- B♭ major pentatonicfive notes for melodies and fills
- Guitar tunertune up before you play along