Root position B♭add9
B♭ – D – F – C
Right hand 1-2-3-5Left hand 5-4-3-1
B♭add9 Chord on Piano
B♭add9 B♭ D F C Formula 1 3 5 9 4 notes
Also written A♯ add9: the same keys under another name.
Notes
What notes are in the B♭add9 chord?
The B♭add9 chord has 4 notes: B♭, D, F, C. The major triad plus the ninth (the second, an octave up): played close, the ninth sits right above the fifth.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| B♭ | Root | 0 |
| D | Major 3rd | 4 |
| F | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| C | Major 9th | 14 |
Inversions and fingering
Every way to play B♭add9
The same notes in a different order. The lowest note changes the name after the slash; the fingering below is the usual one - right hand from the lowest key up, left hand from the lowest key up too.
1st inversion B♭add9/D
D – F – B♭ – C
Right hand 1-2-3-5Left hand 5-4-3-1
2nd inversion B♭add9/F
F – B♭ – D – C
Right hand 1-2-3-5Left hand 5-4-3-1
Where it lives
Keys and scales with B♭add9
Every key where B♭add9 is one of the seven chords, with its Roman numeral, and the scales whose notes include all of it - the ones to improvise over it.
B♭add9 is not a diatonic chord of any major or natural minor key.
Scales that contain all its notes
Questions
Frequently asked
What notes are in the B♭add9 chord?
The B♭add9 chord (B♭add9) is made of B♭, D, F, C. Its formula is 1 3 5 9 - the root, then the intervals of a add 9 chord.
How do you play B♭add9 on the piano?
Put your right thumb on B♭ and play the other notes with fingers 1-2-3-5. With the left hand, use fingers 5-4-3-1 from the lowest key up.
What are the inversions of B♭add9?
root position B♭add9 (B♭ D F C); 1st inversion B♭add9/D (D F B♭ C); 2nd inversion B♭add9/F (F B♭ D C).
Is B♭add9 the same as A♯ add9?
On the piano, yes: the same keys. The name changes with the key you are in - sharps in sharp keys, flats in flat keys.
Play it for real
Hold B♭add9 and build a progression on it
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