Root position B♭
B♭ – D – F
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-3-1
B♭ Major Chord on Piano
B♭ B♭ D F Formula 1 3 5 3 notes
Also written A♯ major: the same keys under another name.
Notes
What notes are in the B♭ Major chord?
The B♭ Major chord has 3 notes: B♭, D, F. Start on B♭, go up 4 half steps for the major third, then 3 more for the perfect fifth.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| B♭ | Root | 0 |
| D | Major 3rd | 4 |
| F | Perfect 5th | 7 |
Inversions and fingering
Every way to play B♭ Major
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♭/D
D – F – B♭
Right hand 1-2-5Left hand 5-3-1
2nd inversion B♭/F
F – B♭ – D
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-2-1
In real music
Songs that use B♭ Major
Pieces from the GOONS sheet music library where B♭ holds for at least two bars of our arrangement (read from the score, root in the bass).
Where it lives
Keys and scales with B♭ Major
Every key where B♭ 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.
In these keys
Scales that contain all its notes
Questions
Frequently asked
What notes are in the B♭ Major chord?
The B♭ Major chord (B♭) is made of B♭, D, F. Its formula is 1 3 5 - the root, then the intervals of a major chord.
How do you play B♭ on the piano?
Put your right thumb on B♭ and play the other notes with fingers 1-3-5. With the left hand, use fingers 5-3-1 from the lowest key up.
What are the inversions of B♭?
root position B♭ (B♭ D F); 1st inversion B♭/D (D F B♭); 2nd inversion B♭/F (F B♭ D).
Is B♭ Major the same as A♯ major?
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♭ and build a progression on it
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