Chords
Bb Major seventh flat ninth
Bb · D · F · A · Cb
Bb Major seventh flat ninth (Bbmaj7b9) is a major chord of 5 notes: Bb · D · F · A · Cb.
Also written BbM7b9
Bb Major seventh flat ninth
Bb · D · F · A · Cb
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | Bb3 · D4 · F4 · A4 · Cb4 | |
| Open (drop 2) | A3 · Bb3 · Cb4 · D4 · F4 | |
| Shell | Bb3 · D4 · A4 | |
| Rootless | D3 · A3 · Cb3 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
Bb Major seventh flat ninth (Bbmaj7b9) contains the notes Bb · D · F · A · Cb, 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 Major seventh flat ninth 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 Major seventh flat ninth belongs to.
In which keys
Bb Major seventh flat ninth 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 Major seventh flat ninth fits inside these scales, each built on Bb.
- Bb Double Harmonic LydianBb · Cb · D · E · F · Gb · A
- Bb Double Harmonic MajorBb · Cb · D · Eb · F · Gb · A
- Bb Purvi RagaBb · Cb · D · Eb · E · F · Gb · A
Understanding the Bb Major seventh flat ninth chord
Names and symbols
Bbmaj7b9 is the chord symbol for Bb Major seventh flat ninth; it is also written BbM7b9.
maj7, M7, Δ7, ma7 and ^7 all mean the major seventh. A lowercase m7 is a different chord, the minor seventh, so the capital letter and the triangle are the only things keeping the two apart on a chart.
Common questions
- What notes are in the Bb Major seventh flat ninth chord?
- The Bb Major seventh flat ninth chord contains the notes Bb · D · F · A · Cb: the root Bb with the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 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 Major seventh flat ninth chord?
- Measured from Bb, the Bb Major seventh flat ninth chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 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 Major seventh flat ninth chord?
- On guitar the most common Bb Major seventh flat ninth shape is x10201, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play Bb3 · D4 · F4 · A4 · Cb4 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.