About the B♭ minor chord
The minor chord lowers the third by a semitone, which gives it a darker, sadder colour than the major. It appears in almost every style, from folk to metal. The symbol for it is B♭m. (also written A♯m)
How to play B♭m
- Lay your index finger flat across the top 5 strings at fret 1, pressing just behind the fret.
- Put your middle finger on the B string at fret 2.
- Put your ring finger on the D string at fret 3.
- Put your little finger on the G string at fret 3.
- Strum and don't play the low E string.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of B♭ minor
These are the chords built on each note of the B♭ minor scale, so they all sound good together with B♭m. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other B♭ chords
B♭m chord questions
What notes are in a B♭ minor chord?
B♭ minor is made of B♭, D♭ and F. In intervals that is 1, ♭3, 5 above the root, B♭.
What is the easiest way to play B♭m?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 1 3 3 2 1 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. It uses a barre, so if that is hard at first, try one of the other shapes.
Is B♭m a barre chord?
The main shape uses a barre, where one finger holds down several strings at once. Press just behind the fret and roll the finger slightly onto its side.