Chords
Bb Major flat fifth
Bb · D · Fb
Bb Major flat fifth (Bbmajb5) is a major chord of 3 notes: Bb · D · Fb.
Also written BbMb5
Bb Major flat fifth
Bb · D · Fb
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Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | Bb3 · D4 · Fb4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
Bb Major flat fifth (Bbmajb5) contains the notes Bb · D · Fb, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built
Inversions
An inversion of Bb Major flat fifth 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 flat fifth belongs to.
In which keys
Bb Major flat fifth is diatonic to 3 keys; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
Scales that contain it
Bb Major flat fifth fits inside these scales, each built on Bb.
- Bb Whole ToneBb · C · D · E · F# · G#
- Bb LydianBb · C · D · E · F · G · A
- Bb AlteredBb · Cb · C# · D · E · Gb · Ab
- Bb Lydian DominantBb · C · D · E · F · G · Ab
- Bb Half-Whole DiminishedBb · Cb · Db · D · E · F · G · Ab
- Bb Neapolitan Major PentatonicBb · D · Eb · Fb · Ab
- Bb Lydian PentatonicBb · D · E · F · A
- Bb Whole Tone PentatonicBb · D · Fb · Gb · Ab
Understanding the Bb Major flat fifth chord
Names and symbols
Bbmajb5 is the chord symbol for Bb Major flat fifth; it is also written BbMb5.
Common questions
- What notes are in the Bb Major flat fifth chord?
- The Bb Major flat fifth chord contains the notes Bb · D · Fb: the root Bb with the intervals 1P, 3M, 5d 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 flat fifth chord?
- Measured from Bb, the Bb Major flat fifth chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3M, 5d. 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 flat fifth chord?
- On guitar the most common Bb Major flat fifth shape is x10330, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play Bb3 · D4 · Fb4 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.