B♭m, minor chord
B♭, D♭ and F
- Root
- B♭
- Minor third
- D♭
- Perfect fifth
- F
Formula
1 ♭3 5 (3, 7 half steps above B♭)
Fingering in root position
| Notes | B♭ | D♭ | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
B♭ minor inversions
B♭ minor has 2 inversions. Each one keeps the same notes and puts a different one at the bottom, so your hand can stay close to the chord before or after it.
B♭m
Root position
| Notes | B♭ | D♭ | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
B♭m/D♭
First inversion
| Notes | D♭ | F | B♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
B♭m/F
Second inversion
| Notes | F | B♭ | D♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 2 | 1 |
Keys with B♭ minor
Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. B♭ minor appears as:
- i in B♭ minor
- vi in D♭ major
- ii in A♭ major
- iii in G♭ major
- iv in F minor
- v in E♭ minor
How B♭ minor is built
B♭ is the root, D♭ the minor third and F the perfect fifth.
A minor chord is a root, the minor third 3 half steps above it and the perfect fifth 7 half steps above it. Raise the middle note by one key and B♭ minor becomes B♭ major.
Every chord takes every other letter of the alphabet, so the letters of B♭ minor are B, D, F. That is why it is spelled B♭, D♭ and F.
Find B♭ minor yourself
Without looking at the diagrams, find the chord on the keyboard, then each inversion. Saying the notes out loud as you tap them helps them stick.
Step 1 of 3
Tap the notes of B♭ minor, in any octave and any order.
Practice B♭ minor in real music
MasterPiano gives you new music to read at your level and listens as you play, through a MIDI keyboard or your device's microphone, marking each note right or wrong.
Start freeQuestions
What notes are in the B♭ minor chord?
B♭ minor (B♭m) has three notes: B♭, D♭ and F. B♭ is the root, D♭ the minor third and F the perfect fifth.
What fingers do you use for B♭ minor on piano?
In root position, play B♭, D♭ and F with right hand fingers 1, 3 and 5 (thumb, middle finger and little finger) and left hand fingers 5, 3 and 1. The fingers change a little in each inversion; every inversion on this page shows its own.
What are the inversions of B♭ minor?
B♭ minor has 2 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (B♭m/D♭): D♭, F and B♭. Second inversion (B♭m/F): F, B♭ and D♭.
Is B♭ minor the same as A♯ minor?
On the piano, yes: they use the same keys. They are written differently, because a chord takes every other letter: B♭ minor is B♭, D♭ and F and A♯ minor is A♯, C♯ and E♯. B♭ minor is the usual name: its key has 5 flats, while A♯ minor would need 7 sharps.