Chords in the Key of B♭ Minor — Guitar Chord Chart

The key of B♭ minor has 5 flats, and its seven chords are B♭m, Cdim, D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭, A♭. Start with B♭m, E♭m, Fm: they are the three a song in B♭ minor cannot do without. Every diagram below plays when you press it.

The seven chords of B♭ minor

One chord on each note of the scale, built from the scale’s own notes. Capital numerals are major chords, small ones minor, and ° is diminished.

iB♭mx13321the home chord
ii°Cdimx3454xrare — a passing chord
IIID♭x46664the relative major
ivE♭mxx1342the step away from home
vFm133111the natural, gentler dominant
VIG♭244322bright against the minor home
VIIA♭466544a whole step under home

The three to learn first

B♭m is home — the chord the song starts from and ends on. E♭m is the step away, and Fm is the one that pulls back home. On guitar they are x13321, xx1342 and 133111: B♭m with a barre at the 1st fret and three more fingers, E♭m with four fingers and Fm with a barre at the 1st fret and two more fingers.

The easy way: a capo at the 1st fret

B♭ minor is not a friendly key on guitar — B♭m, Cdim, D♭, E♭m, Fm and G♭ need a barre or a fourth finger. Clamp a capo at the 1st fret and play the chords of A minor instead: every shape sounds 1 semitone higher, so the Am shape sounds B♭m, the Dm shape sounds E♭m and the Em shape sounds Fm.

Progressions in B♭ minor

The orders these chords are most often played in. Press play to hear each one strummed, a bar to a chord.

i – iv – V7B♭m – E♭m – F7

The minor three-chord song, with the major dominant.

i – VI – III – VIIB♭m – G♭ – D♭ – A♭

The four-chord pop progression, started from its minor chord.

i – VII – VI – V7B♭m – A♭ – G♭ – F7

The descending “Andalusian” line.

The sevenths

Four-note versions of the same chords. F7 is the one worth learning first: it is Fm with one note added, and it pulls toward B♭m harder than the plain chord does.

V7F7131211the major dominant, borrowed from the harmonic minor
i7B♭m7x13121home, softened
iv7E♭m7xx1322the step away, softened

The scale behind the chords

B♭ minor is the notes B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭. Every chord above uses only those seven notes (except F7, which raises the seventh), which is why they sound as if they belong together — and why a melody in B♭ minor fits over any of them. Its relative major is D♭ major, which has the same notes and the same chords with a different home.

The nearest keys are a fifth either side: F minor and E♭ minor. Each shares six of this key’s seven notes, which is why songs change key to them so often.

Frequently asked questions

What chords are in the key of B♭ minor?

B♭m (i), Cdim (ii°), D♭ (III), E♭m (iv), Fm (v), G♭ (VI), A♭ (VII). They are the seven chords you get by stacking thirds on each note of the B♭ minor scale — B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭ — using only notes of that scale. Songs in B♭ minor also use F7, the major dominant, which borrows one note from outside it.

What are the three main chords in B♭ minor?

B♭m, E♭m and Fm — the chords on the first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. B♭m is home, E♭m moves away from it and Fm pulls back. A great many songs use only these three.

What is the relative major of B♭ minor?

D♭ major. The two keys share all seven notes and all seven chords, in a different order: what is III in B♭ minor is the home chord of D♭ major. A song can move between them without any chord sounding out of place.

Is B♭ minor an easy key on guitar?

6 of its six everyday chords — B♭m, Cdim, D♭, E♭m, Fm and G♭ — need a barre or four fingers on guitar. The usual way round that is a capo at the 1st fret, playing the chord shapes of A minor.

Guitar Chords in the Key of B♭ Minor