When I was first learning how to play the guitar, I had finally mastered my CAGED chords and was ready to move on to bigger and better things. This Bb chord is based on the open position E chord: it’s the same shape, but played with a barre at the 6th fret. They’ll widen your song repertoire, but you still need to practice the original versions. General music theory teaches us that chords are built using three notes: the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of a scale. Last, and much less poetically, your fourth finger goes on the third fret of the second string. All Rights Reserved. Both shapes are a little challenging, especially for beginners. Many songs are written in the key of F, and Bb is the fourth chord in this key. Still feel like you can’t get it? Next, you place your second finger on the third fret of the third string. Everything you need to know to play a Bb major chord on your guitar. You can learn more popular chords here: All Guitar Chords Chart. Here are some additional thoughts to help confidently play the Bb chord. It’s the only way you’ll achieve the full sound you need to play the songs you love. There are two common ways to play the Bb chord: the A shape and the E shape. If you don’t have a lot of practice with this, it can be a struggle. GuitarCommand.com also participates in various other affiliate programs, and we may get a commission from purchases made via links from our site. The Theory Behind Bb B flat major (Bb) is a very common chord for the guitar. A chord labeled Bb is pronounced: B flat chord. The Bb chord on guitar is definitely one of the hardest barre chords around and it is the one that gives a lot of beginners and intermediate guitarists a lot of bother. Now that you have an idea of what notes you need to hit and why. Still with me? Before you learn any shortcuts, it’s good to know what your end aim is. In my mind, I was already playing more complicated songs. The Best Jazz Bassists: Who Are The Greatest Jazz Bassists Of All Time? Guitar Chords > Bb Chord Choose from these 26 Bb chord variations. This iteration of the chord is derived from the A guitar chord. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. First, place your first finger in a barre chord in the first fret. C Major Pentatonic Scale Guitar: Play The Pentatonic Major Scale in C in Multiple Fretboard Positions, With TAB, Notation & Scale Patterns, Guitar Strings Notes: Learn Every Note On The Fretboard, E Major Pentatonic Scale Guitar: Play The Pentatonic Major Scale in E in Multiple Fretboard Positions, With TAB, Notation & Scale Patterns, Guitar Modes Tab & Fretboard Diagrams: Complete Lesson – Learn How To Use Modes In Your Solos. Practice it a few times and see what you think. Your next move will be in the third fret. As you have probably guessed, this version is similar to the E major chord. If you’re not a fan, try your hand at the E-shape next. This will take you one step closer to playing it as a barre chord. It helps to begin by placing your fingers in E major shape to refresh your memory. Next, take your second finger to the first fret of the fifth string. 3 chord voicings, charts and sounds. This will give you more pressure and allow you to play the barre chord more easily. We hope that you have enjoyed learning how to play the Bb chord guitar shapes on this page. For this shortcut, place your fingers on the second fret as you would for A major: first finger on the fourth string, the second finger on the third string, and third finger on the second string. The fourth finger is used to play the notes on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings. The following diagrams show you how to play a Bb chord in two fretboard positions. Lucky for you, there are a few shortcuts. There are often shortcuts, just like there are for the Bb guitar chord for beginners. Barre chords are a technique that is very difficult for most beginner and intermediate players. Chord notes and structure: G# Bb B D F F# ( R 2 m3 b5 6 m7). F. In a minor key, a major chord is found on the III, V and VI (3rd, 5th and 6th) degrees of the scale. The Best Rush Albums Ranked: What Are The Top 5 Rush Albums? GuitarCommand.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You can download a printable guitar chords book here: Download your own printable guitar chords book here. I know this from experience. This leads us to understand that the Bb, D, and F notes make up the chord. Just like the E-shape shortcut, you are only going to strum three strings, but this time, you play the last three: E string, A string, and D string. Many songs are written in the key of F, and Bb is the fourth chord in this key. the above chord can also be played with the fingering shown below. The Bb scale goes like this: Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, and A. Want to learn more chords? And strum all the strings. Contemporary Jazz Guitarists: A List Of Exciting Young Jazz Guitarists. Just enter one or more chord symbols separated by commas into the search box and hit "Go" and JGuitar will draw chord diagrams for each of the chord symbols entered. Finger position numbers are shown. When you strum, keep that pinky resting against the first string. Place your second finger on the fourth string. My personal favorite is Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” and the classic Roy Orbison tune “You Got It.” If neither of those strikes your fancy, then find another one to practice your new skills. It’s a bit harder this way at first, but some guitarists find it easier to play once they’re used to it.