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Piano chord

B♭m(add9)B flat minor added ninth

  • B♭1
  • D♭♭3
  • F5
  • C9
Notes
4
Positions
4
Span
14semitones
Fingers
1-2-3-5

How to play B♭m(add9) on piano

  1. Find B♭: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
  2. Right hand: 1 on B♭, 2 on D♭, 3 on F, 5 on C.
  3. Or with the left hand: 5 on B♭, 4 on D♭, 3 on F, 1 on C.
  4. Press the keys together, with curved fingers and a loose wrist, and let them ring.
  1. B♭m(add9) on piano, Root position: B♭ D♭ F CB♭, D♭, F, CFCB♭D♭3512
    B♭m(add9) on piano, Root position: B♭ D♭ F CB♭, D♭, F, CFCB♭D♭3154

    Root position · B♭ – D♭ – F – C

  2. B♭m(add9) on piano, 1st inversion: D♭ F C B♭D♭, F, C, B♭FCD♭B♭2315
    B♭m(add9) on piano, 1st inversion: D♭ F C B♭D♭, F, C, B♭FCD♭B♭4351

    1st inversion · D♭ – F – C – B♭

  3. B♭m(add9) on piano, 2nd inversion: F C B♭ D♭F, C, B♭, D♭FCB♭D♭1245
    B♭m(add9) on piano, 2nd inversion: F C B♭ D♭F, C, B♭, D♭FCB♭D♭5421

    2nd inversion · F – C – B♭ – D♭

  4. B♭m(add9) on piano, 3rd inversion: C B♭ D♭ FC, B♭, D♭, FCFB♭D♭1534
    B♭m(add9) on piano, 3rd inversion: C B♭ D♭ FC, B♭, D♭, FCFB♭D♭5132

    3rd inversion · C – B♭ – D♭ – F

Numbers on the keys are fingers: 1 thumb, 2 index, 3 middle, 4 ring, 5 little finger.

B♭m(add9) inversions

Here are all 4 positions of B♭m(add9). The notes stay the same, only their order changes: root position has B♭ at the bottom, and every inversion starts on the next chord tone.

B♭m(add9) with two hands

A full sound: the left hand plays B♭ an octave lower, the right hand plays B♭–D♭–F–C.

B♭m(add9) with two handsB♭, B♭, D♭, F, CFCB♭B♭D♭35512

B♭m(add9) on other instruments

About the B♭m(add9) chord

The 4 notes of B flat minor added ninth are B♭ (1), D♭ (♭3), F (5), C (9). A minor added ninth: a minor triad plus the ninth. Wistful and modern, a common substitute for the plain minor chord.

Put your thumb on B♭ and count up: B♭ – D♭ – F – C. The whole chord spans 14 semitones from bottom to top. That is wider than an octave, so most pianists split B♭m(add9): B♭ in the left hand, the upper notes in the right.

The inversions of B♭m(add9) keep the same notes in a new order. 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).

Add C to B♭m and you have B♭m(add9).

Questions

What notes are in the B♭m(add9) chord?

B♭m(add9) (B flat minor added ninth) has 4 notes: B♭ (1), D♭ (♭3), F (5), C (9).

How many inversions does B♭m(add9) have?

B♭m(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♭m(add9) and B♭m?

Add C to B♭m and you have B♭m(add9).

Can I play B♭m(add9) with one hand?

In root position B♭m(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.

More B♭ chords