Chords in the Key of Bb Major
Every diatonic triad and seventh chord in Bb major, with the progressions built from them. Free. No sign-up.
Key facts
Diatonic triads
Seventh chords
Stack one more scale tone on each triad and you get the seventh chords — same key, more color.
Common progressions in Bb major
I–V–vi–IV
Bb – F – Gm – Eb
The four-chord pop loop — a huge share of modern radio runs on it.
I–IV–V
Bb – Eb – F
The three-chord workhorse behind blues, folk, and early rock and roll.
ii–V–I
Cm – F – Bb
The jazz cadence — the strongest pull back home in the key.
I–vi–IV–V
Bb – Gm – Eb – F
The '50s doo-wop turnaround, still everywhere in ballads.
How the key of Bb major works
Bb Major carries two flats (Bb and Eb). The scale runs Bb–C–D–Eb–F–G–A, and stacking every other note of that scale builds the seven chords above — every chord tone comes from those same seven notes.
G Minor is the relative minor: identical key signature, identical seven chords. A song that treats Gm — the vi chord here — as home base is in G minor, even though its chord inventory matches this page exactly.
The parallel minor, Bb Minor, keeps the same root but flattens the third, sixth, and seventh — its signature shifts to five flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and Gb). Borrowing chords across that line is where a lot of songwriting color comes from.
Playing Bb major on guitar
In Bb major, Dm is an open chord you can play in first position. Bb, Cm, Eb, F and Gm need a barre shape or a capo. The diminished Adim is usually played as a small three-string shape rather than a full chord.
A capo is the shortcut. With one, the I–V–vi–IV progression (Bb – F – Gm – Eb) sounds in Bb major while you finger open shapes:
Capo 3 · play it as G major
G – D – Em – C
4 of 4 shapes are open chords.
Capo 1 · play it as A major
A – E – F#m – D
3 of 4 shapes are open chords.
Capo 8 · play it as D major
D – A – Bm – G
3 of 4 shapes are open chords.
Where Bb major sits on the neck
The root, Bb, is fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string, the two places most major barre shapes and scale positions in Bb major are built from.
Three open strings are in the key: A, D and G. Watch the open low E (fret 1 gives F), the open B (fret 1 gives C) and the open high E (fret 1 gives F).
One note separates Bb major from each neighbour on the circle of fifths. Raise Eb to E and you are in F major; lower A to Ab and you are in Eb major. Those are the two keys a song in Bb major most often modulates to.
Keep practicing
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