Chords
Bb 9b5
Bb · D · Fb · Ab · C
Bb 9b5 (Bb9b5) is a major chord of 5 notes: Bb · D · Fb · Ab · C.
Bb 9b5
Bb · D · Fb · Ab · C
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Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | Bb3 · D4 · Fb4 · Ab4 · C5 | |
| Open (drop 2) | Ab3 · Bb3 · D4 · Fb4 · C5 | |
| Shell | Bb3 · D4 · Ab4 | |
| Rootless | D3 · Ab3 · C4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
Bb 9b5 (Bb9b5) contains the notes Bb · D · Fb · Ab · C, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · seventh chords · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of Bb 9b5 puts a chord tone other than Bb in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales Bb 9b5 belongs to.
In which keys
Bb 9b5 is not diatonic to any major or minor key: at least one of its notes lies outside every one of them.
Scales that contain it
Bb 9b5 fits inside these scales, each built on Bb.
- Bb Whole ToneBb · C · D · E · F# · G#
- Bb Lydian DominantBb · C · D · E · F · G · Ab
- Bb PrometheusBb · C · D · E · G · Ab
- Bb Locrian MajorBb · C · D · Eb · Fb · Gb · Ab
- Bb Leading Whole ToneBb · C · D · E · F# · Ab · A
- Bb Lydian MinorBb · C · D · E · F · Gb · Ab
- Bb Messiaen's Mode #6Bb · C · D · Eb · E · F# · G# · A
- Bb Composite BluesBb · C · Db · D · Eb · Fb · F · G · Ab
Understanding the Bb 9b5 chord
Names and symbols
Bb9b5 is the chord symbol for Bb 9b5.
Common questions
- What notes are in the Bb 9b5 chord?
- The Bb 9b5 chord contains the notes Bb · D · Fb · Ab · C: the root Bb with the intervals 1P, 3M, 5d, 7m, 9M stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally Bb, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the Bb 9b5 chord?
- Measured from Bb, the Bb 9b5 chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3M, 5d, 7m, 9M. The quality of the third and of the seventh, if there is one, is what gives the chord its character; the rest of the notes colour it. Every interval in the formula links to its own page, with its sound.
- How do I play the Bb 9b5 chord?
- On guitar the most common Bb 9b5 shape is x10110, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play Bb3 · D4 · Fb4 · Ab4 · C5 with the right hand, or move the root down into the left hand and keep the rest above it. Every shape on this page plays when you press it.