B-flat Piano Chords
Here we can explore every chord built on B-flat, the last black key of each group of three. The root stays the same from chord to chord; what changes is the distance from B-flat to the notes stacked above it, and that is what gives each chord its own quality and unique sound. Because B-flat is a black key, the right thumb and the left 5th finger start on a black key in root position, so the hand sits further in toward the fallboard than it does for chords built on white keys.
The 9 chords built on B-flat
Triads built on B-flat
Four triads can be built on B-flat. Each is three notes stacked in thirds, and they differ only in their third and fifth:
- B-flat major (B♭): B-flat, D, F
- B-flat minor (B♭m): B-flat, D-flat, F, with the third lowered to D-flat
- B-flat diminished (B♭°): B-flat, D-flat, F-flat, with the fifth lowered as well, to F-flat
- B-flat augmented (B♭+): B-flat, D, F-sharp, with the fifth of the major chord raised to F-sharp
Try playing them in that order and listening to how a single changed note changes the sound of the whole chord.
Seventh chords built on B-flat
Adding a seventh on top of a triad gives the five seventh chords built on B-flat:
- B-flat dominant 7th (B♭7): the major triad with a minor seventh, B-flat, D, F, A-flat
- B-flat major 7th (B♭maj7): the major triad with a major seventh, B-flat, D, F, A
- B-flat minor 7th (B♭m7): the minor triad with a minor seventh, B-flat, D-flat, F, A-flat
- B-flat half-diminished 7th (B♭ø7): the diminished triad with a minor seventh, B-flat, D-flat, F-flat, A-flat
- B-flat diminished 7th (B♭°7): the diminished triad with a diminished seventh, B-flat, D-flat, F-flat, A-double-flat
A few of these notes have names that may look unusual: F-flat is played on E and A-double-flat is played on G. Each chord keeps its notes on every other letter name, which is what makes it read as a stack of thirds on the staff.
Each chord’s own page shows it in every inversion, with fingering, keyboard charts, notation, and audio.
B-flat chords and keys
All of these chords grow from the same root, B-flat. The chords that belong together in a key are a different family, built on each note of the scale; for those, see B-flat major piano chords and B-flat minor piano chords.