B♭ major (B♭) chord on mandolin

The B♭ major chord (B♭) is a major triad, made of three notes: B♭ – D – F. The same chord with a different spelling: A♯ major (A♯).

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 3medium

Position 6medium

Position 8easy

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

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What the B♭ chord sounds like

A major triad sounds stable and bright: root, major third and perfect fifth. Most songs are built on major chords – in a major key, chords I, IV and V are all major.

Notes of the B♭ chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	B♭	root
3	D	major third (4 semitones)
5	F	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape, barre at fret 1

String 1 (E): fret 1, index finger (F5)
String 2 (A): fret 1, index finger (B♭4)
String 3 (D): open (D4)
String 4 (G): fret 3, ring finger (B♭3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 1; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 3, barre at fret 3

String 1 (E): fret 6, little finger (B♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 5, ring finger (D5)
String 3 (D): fret 3, index finger (F4)
String 4 (G): fret 3, index finger (B♭3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 3; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 6

String 1 (E): fret 6, index finger (B♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 8, little finger (F5)
String 3 (D): fret 8, ring finger (B♭4)
String 4 (G): fret 7, middle finger (D4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The B♭ chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

B♭ major: I (tonic)
E♭ major: V (dominant)
F major: IV (subdominant)
E♭ minor: V (dominant)
C minor: VII
G minor: III
D minor: VI

Similar chords and substitutes

If B♭ is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Gm – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
Dm – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
B♭maj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
B♭sus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Richer versions

B♭7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
B♭maj7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
B♭6 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
B♭add9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B♭ chord?

B♭, D, F. The root is B♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth.

What is the easiest way to play B♭ on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why do some songbooks write H instead of B?

In German and Central European notation, H is the note B, and B is the note B♭. So a “B” chord in a German or Hungarian songbook is B♭ in English notation, and an “H” chord is B. Always check which notation your chord chart uses.