Bbm guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - i - m - a · Classic Ascending (4/4 · 4 notes · Level 1)
The thumb plays A# on the 5th and the three top strings add up to 3 different notes. All 6 arpeggios
Steady bass with uniform ascending movement.
Play Bbm one string at a time and you hear Bb, Db and F. Bb is the root, Db the minor third and F the fifth. Said aloud, its notes are B flat, D flat and F.
From the low string to the high one you hear Bb, F, Bb, Db and F. The root, Bb, shows up twice in the main shape. The lowest note is Bb on string 5 and the highest is F on string 1.
For Bbm, your index finger barres fret 1. String 6 is not played. Everything fits between frets 1 and 3. Besides the main one there are two more shapes, at frets 6 and 8.
Bb is one change away. String 2 moves from fret 2 to fret 3, bringing in D, the major third of Bb. It shares two notes with Db, Db and F. Going to Fm, two positions stay the same. It can also be written A#m, and it sounds the same.
Bbm shows up in five keys. In Db major it is the vi, in Ab major the ii and in Gb major the iii. The rest appear in the key list.
Bb 1Db ♭3F 5
Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 1 (Bb)
String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted
Placement tip: Barre fret 1. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 3, 3rd String (G) at fret 3, 2nd String (B) at fret 2. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Barre fret 6. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 8, 4th String (D) at fret 8.
Placement tip: Press: 4th String (D) at fret 8 with your Index finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 10 with your Ring finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 11 with your Pinky finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 9 with your Middle finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E), 5th String (A).
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 1 to 3 |
| Barre | fret 1, from the 5th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 4 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | 6th |
At fret 1, only the barre sounds the 5th and 1st strings.
Listen: Bbm → Fm · F# · F
Bbm sits in the scale of 5 keys.
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the Bbm chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.
The primary bass note of the Bbm chord is its root note: Bb. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 1.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The Bbm chord is constructed using the 1 - ♭3 - 5 formula (Minor Triad). Its constituent pitches are Bb, Db, F.
To prevent fret buzz on the Bbm barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
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