The seven chords of B♭ major
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♭3211the home chord
- iiCm0333leads to V
- iiiDm2210a softer stand-in for I
- IVE♭0331the step away from home
- VF2010pulls back to I
- viGm0231the relative minor
- vii°Adim5356rare — a passing chord
The three to learn first
B♭ is home — the chord the song starts from and ends on. E♭ is the step away, and F is the one that pulls back home. On ukulele they are 3211, 0331 and 2010: B♭ with a barre at the 1st fret and two more fingers, E♭ with three fingers and F with two fingers.
The easy way: a capo at the 3rd fret
B♭ major is not a friendly key on ukulele — B♭ needs a barre or a fourth finger. Clamp a capo at the 3rd fret and play the chords of G major instead: every shape sounds 3 semitones higher, so the G shape sounds B♭, the C shape sounds E♭ and the D shape sounds F.
Progressions in B♭ major
The orders these chords are most often played in. Press play to hear each one strummed, a bar to a chord.
Three chords, and thousands of folk, blues, country and rock songs.
The four-chord pop progression.
The 1950s doo-wop turnaround.
The jazz cadence: two steps toward home, then home.
The sevenths
Four-note versions of the same chords. F7 is the one worth learning first: it is F with one note added, and it pulls toward B♭ harder than the plain chord does.
The scale behind the chords
B♭ major is the notes B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G – A. Every chord above uses only those seven notes, which is why they sound as if they belong together — and why a melody in B♭ major fits over any of them. Its relative minor is G minor, which has the same notes and the same chords with a different home.
The nearest keys are a fifth either side: F major and E♭ major. 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♭ major?
B♭ (I), Cm (ii), Dm (iii), E♭ (IV), F (V), Gm (vi), Adim (vii°). They are the seven chords you get by stacking thirds on each note of the B♭ major scale — B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, A — using only notes of that scale.
What are the three main chords in B♭ major?
B♭, E♭ and F — the chords on the first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. B♭ is home, E♭ moves away from it and F pulls back. A great many songs use only these three.
What is the relative minor of B♭ major?
G minor. The two keys share all seven notes and all seven chords, in a different order: what is vi in B♭ major is the home chord of G minor. A song can move between them without any chord sounding out of place.
Is B♭ major an easy key on ukulele?
One everyday chord — B♭ — needs a barre or four fingers on ukulele. The usual way round that is a capo at the 3rd fret, playing the chord shapes of G major.