Piano chord
B♭add9B flat added ninth
- B♭1
- D3
- F5
- C9
- Notes
- 4
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 14semitones
- Fingers
- 1-2-3-5
How to play B♭add9 on piano
- Find B♭: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Right hand: 1 on B♭, 2 on D, 3 on F, 5 on C.
- Or with the left hand: 5 on B♭, 4 on D, 3 on F, 1 on C.
- Press the keys together, with curved fingers and a loose wrist, and let them ring.
Root position · B♭ – D – F – C
1st inversion · D – F – C – B♭
2nd inversion · F – C – B♭ – D
3rd inversion · C – B♭ – D – F
Numbers on the keys are fingers: 1 thumb, 2 index, 3 middle, 4 ring, 5 little finger.
B♭add9 inversions
Use these 4 positions to move between chords with as little hand movement as possible. Root position starts on B♭; the inversions start on the other notes of the chord.
- Root positionbass: B♭Right hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-3-1
- 1st inversionbass: DRight hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-3-1
- 2nd inversionbass: FRight hand 1-2-4-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
- 3rd inversionbass: CRight hand 1-3-4-5 · Left hand 5-3-2-1
B♭add9 with two hands
A full sound: the left hand plays B♭ an octave lower, the right hand plays B♭–D–F–C.
B♭add9 on other instruments
About the B♭add9 chord
To build B flat added ninth, take these 4 notes from the root up: B♭ (1), D (3), F (5), C (9). An added ninth: a major triad plus the ninth, without a seventh. It adds sparkle to a plain major chord and works anywhere the triad does.
On the keyboard, start from B♭ and add the other notes above it: B♭ – D – F – C. From the lowest to the highest key that is 14 semitones. It is too wide for one hand: play B♭ with the left hand and the rest with the right.
Each inversion of B♭add9 puts a different note in the bass. In the 1st inversion the bass is D (D–F–C–B♭). In the 2nd inversion the bass is F (F–C–B♭–D). In the 3rd inversion the bass is C (C–B♭–D–F).
Compared with B♭, B♭add9 has one more note, C.
Questions
What notes are in the B♭add9 chord?
B♭add9 (B flat added ninth) has 4 notes: B♭ (1), D (3), F (5), C (9).
How many inversions does B♭add9 have?
B♭add9 can be played in 4 positions: Root position (B♭–D–F–C); 1st inversion (D–F–C–B♭); 2nd inversion (F–C–B♭–D); 3rd inversion (C–B♭–D–F).
What is the difference between B♭add9 and B♭?
Compared with B♭, B♭add9 has one more note, C.
Can I play B♭add9 with one hand?
In root position B♭add9 spans 14 semitones, more than an octave. Play the root with the left hand and the upper notes with the right, or leave out the fifth.