B♭ minor (B♭m) chord on mandolin

Minor triad on B♭: the notes of the B♭m chord are B♭ – D♭ – F. The same chord with a different spelling: A♯ minor (A♯m).

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

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.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the B♭m chord sounds like

A minor triad differs from a major one only in the third: it has a minor third, which gives it a darker, sadder colour. In a major key, chords ii, iii and vi are minor.

Notes of the B♭m chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): fret 1, index finger (F5)
String 2 (A): fret 4, little finger (D♭5)
String 3 (D): fret 3, ring finger (F4)
String 4 (G): fret 3, ring finger (B♭3)

Position 3, barre at fret 3

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

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

B♭ minor: i (tonic)
E♭ minor: v (dominant)
F minor: iv (subdominant)
G♭ major: iii
D♭ major: vi
A♭ major: ii

Similar chords and substitutes

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

Substitutes (by function)

C♯ – relative major: two shared notes
F♯ – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
B♭m7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Richer versions

B♭m7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
B♭m6 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
B♭m9 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B♭m chord?

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

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

The easiest shape above is “Position 8”, 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.