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B-flat Major Chord
The B-flat Major Chord is B-flat, D, and F, with the thumb on a black key and two white keys above. Starting on a black key, the thumb sits a little further in, and the hand angles slightly toward the fallboard. The sound is warm and full.
How to play the B-flat Major Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the B-flat Major Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.
The B-flat Major Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the B♭ major chord are stacked in thirds with B♭ on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| B-flat Major Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | B♭ D F |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | B♭ |
The B-flat Major Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (D) becomes the bottom note, and the root (B♭) jumps up to the top.
| B-flat Major Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | D F B♭ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 5 |
| Chord Symbol | B♭6 or B♭/D |
The B-flat Major Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (F) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (D) goes to the top.
| B-flat Major Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | F B♭ D |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | B♭6/4 or B♭/F |
B-flat Major Chord theory and function
A major chord is the most settled sound in tonal music. What it does depends on the key around it: it can be home, it can lead away from home, or it can pull back toward it.
The B♭ major chord is the tonic (I) in B♭ major, the dominant (V) in E♭ major, and the subdominant (IV) in F major. In minor keys, it is the mediant (III) in G minor, the submediant (VI) in D minor, the subtonic (VII) in C minor, and the dominant (V) in E♭ minor.
Three chords, I, IV, and V, account for a great deal of the hymns, folk songs, and early classical pieces a student will meet. In B♭ major that is B♭ – E♭ – F – B♭. Try listening for the job the chord is doing: after the dominant it sounds like arriving, and after the tonic it sounds like stepping away.
Other chords built on B-flat
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