Guitar chords · Power chord
B♭5 chord on guitar (Bb5)
B♭5 (B♭ Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion.) has two notes: B♭ and F, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. and 5.
Shapes
How to play B♭5
Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.; the other numbers are the chord tones.
B♭5 has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 1 or the E shape at fret 6. A A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major. keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., on the lowest played string, names the chord.
A shape · fret 1
E shape · fret 6
Notes and formula
What makes B♭5 power chord
A Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion. is just the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. and the 5th, often with the root doubled an The distance of twelve half steps, where a note comes round to the same name. Twelve frets up a string is an octave. up. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, so it stays clear under heavy distortion: the backbone of rock and punk.
- 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
- 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
- 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.
The 5th makes B♭5 a Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion..
- B♭Rroot
- F5essential
- B♭, the root
- Other chord tones
B♭5 and A♯5 are the same chord with two names: same The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step., same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.
Keys
Keys with B♭5
B♭5 belongs to twelve keys: G♭ major (iii5), D♭ major (vi5), A♭ major (ii5), E♭ major (V5), B♭ major (I5), F major (IV5), E♭ minor (v5), B♭ minor (i5), F minor (iv5), C minor (VII5), G minor (III5) and D minor (VI5).
- iii5G♭ major
- vi5D♭ major
- ii5A♭ major
- V5E♭ major
- I5B♭ major
- IV5F major
- v5E♭ minor
- i5B♭ minor
- iv5F minor
- VII5C minor
- III5G minor
- VI5D minor
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Slash chords
B♭5 over another bass note
A A chord with a different note in the bass, written after a slash: C/E is a C chord with E as its lowest note. The letter after the slash is the bass. keeps B♭5 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.
- B♭5/F
B♭5 with its 5th, F, in the bass.
Same root
Other chords on A♯ / B♭
Change one or two notes and the same The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. gives a different colour. Compare them by ear.
- B♭ major
- B♭m minor
- B♭7 dominant 7th
- B♭maj7 major 7th
- B♭m7 minor 7th
- B♭sus2 suspended 2nd
- B♭sus4 suspended 4th
- B♭6 major 6th
- B♭m6 minor 6th
- B♭add9 add 9
- B♭9 dominant 9th
- B♭maj9 major 9th
- B♭m9 minor 9th
- B♭13 dominant 13th
- B♭maj13 major 13th
- B♭m11 minor 11th
- A♯° diminished
- A♯m7♭5 half-diminished 7th
- A♯°7 diminished 7th
- B♭+ augmented
- B♭7sus4 dominant 7th suspended 4th
- B♭m(maj7) minor major 7th
- B♭6/9 six-nine
- B♭m(add9) minor add 9
- B♭7♯9 dominant 7th sharp 9th
Questions
B♭5, in short
- What notes are in the B♭5 chord?
- B♭5 (B♭ Just the root and the 5th, often with the root doubled: C5 is C and G. With no 3rd it is neither major nor minor, which keeps it clear under distortion.) has two notes: B♭ and F, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. and 5.
- How do you play B♭5 on guitar?
- B♭5 has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 1 or the E shape at fret 6.
- What key is B♭5 in?
- B♭5 belongs to twelve keys: G♭ major (iii5), D♭ major (vi5), A♭ major (ii5), E♭ major (V5), B♭ major (I5), F major (IV5), E♭ minor (v5), B♭ minor (i5), F minor (iv5), C minor (VII5), G minor (III5) and D minor (VI5).
- Is B♭5 the same as A♯5?
- Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. B♭5 is the spelling in G♭ major, D♭ major, A♭ major, E♭ major, B♭ major, F major, E♭ minor, B♭ minor, F minor, C minor, G minor and D minor; A♯5 only in F♯ major, C♯ major, D♯ minor and A♯ minor.