Bb 9b5 Guitar Chord | Play, Hear and Practice Interactively

Bb, D, Fb, Ab and C make up the Bb9b5 chord, Bb ninth flat five. The Fb is the lowered fifth, spelled that way so every letter name appears once, and it sounds the same as E.

Three voicings are listed, one with an open string and two barres, and the lowest is at the 1st fret. Changing between altered shapes is easier with smoother chord changes. The Bb whole-tone scale holds all five notes.

Start the drum loop at the top, set a slow tempo and play along until the move between shapes is smooth.

Bb 9th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as Bb9b5, Bb9(b5) or Bb9-5.

Notes in the Bb 9b5 chord:

Bb D Fb Ab C

Chord Structure:

Formula: 1 3 b5 b7 9

Bb 9b5 Chord Interactive Fretboard

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Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

Bb 9b5 Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Open

Finger Positions

Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
Let the D string play without pressing any fret
Let the high E string play without pressing any fret
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the A string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 1 of the G string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 1 of the B string

Position 2 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 of the A, G and B strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 6 of the low E string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 6 of the D string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 6 of the high E string

Position 3 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 8 of the D and high E strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 9 of the G string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the B string

Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C 9b5 | D 9b5 | E 9b5 | F 9b5 | G 9b5 | A 9b5 | B 9b5 | C#9b5 | D#9b5 | F#9b5 | G#9b5 | A#9b5 | Ab9b5 | Bb9b5 | Db9b5 | Eb9b5 | Gb9b5

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In the ebook you can also find maps show you the tones in a chord all along the fretboard. They are incredibly helpful because allow you to:

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

Which notes make up Bb9b5?

Bb9b5 is Bb, D, Fb, Ab and C. The Fb is the lowered fifth and sounds like E, and the C is the ninth.

What does Bb9b5 add to Bb7b5?

Bb7b5 has Bb, D, Fb and Ab. The 9 adds C, a major ninth over the root, so the chord has five notes.

Is Bb9b5 the same chord as A#9b5?

Yes. A#9b5 is A#, C##, E, G# and B#, the same pitches. Bb9b5 avoids the double sharp, so it is simpler to read.

How many Bb9b5 voicings are there?

There are 3 voicings, from fret 1 to fret 9. One has an open string and two are barre voicings.

What scale can I improvise with over Bb9b5?

The Bb whole-tone scale is Bb, C, D, E, F# and Ab. All five chord pitches are in it, with the chord's Fb appearing as E.