About the B♭9 chord
The dominant ninth extends a seventh chord with the ninth. It is the sound of funk and soul rhythm guitar, and a richer substitute for any dominant seventh. The symbol for it is B♭9. (also written A♯9)
How to play B♭9
- Put your index finger on the A string at fret 1.
- Put your middle finger on the G string at fret 1.
- Put your ring finger on the B string at fret 1.
- Put your little finger on the high E string at fret 1.
- Strum and let the D string ring open, and don't play the low E string.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of B♭ major
These are the chords built on each note of the B♭ major scale, so they all sound good together with B♭9. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other B♭ chords
B♭9 chord questions
What notes are in a B♭9 chord?
B♭9 is made of B♭, D, F, A♭ and C. In intervals that is 1, 3, 5, ♭7, 9 above the root, B♭.
What is the easiest way to play B♭9?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 1 0 1 1 1 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is B♭9 a barre chord?
The main shape above is an open chord with no barre. Some of the other shapes further up the neck do use a barre, which lets you move the same shape to any key.