Bb: guitar chord voicings, inversions, scales and arpeggios

Bb (Major) is an interactive GuitarArcanum page with chord formula, intervals, voicings, inversions, triads, pentatonic patterns, scales and arpeggios on the fretboard.

Chord formula

Interval formula: 1 3 5. A major triad — root, 3rd and 5th. The foundation of all harmony: a stable, clear, bright chord.

Chord tones

The root sets the center, the major 3rd gives the major quality, and the 5th firms up the foundation. Three notes, nothing extra.

Sound character

Clear, stable and bright — the sound of rest and resolution.

Harmonic function

Most often a tonic, but on different scale degrees it works as a subdominant or a dominant.

Typical progressions

Bb – F – Gm – Eb
Bb – Eb – F
I – IV – V – I

Guitar voicing advice

Open C, G, D, A, E shapes and barre forms from the 6th and 5th strings. The first chords you learn.

Fretboard voicings for Bb

A few curated Bb shapes with fret numbers, intervals and root markers.

Bb — A shape, frets 0–4

Bb — G shape, frets 2–7

Bb — E shape, frets 5–9

Bb — D shape, frets 7–12

Bb — C shape, frets 9–14

Compatible scales for Bb

Open interactive scale pages that naturally pair with this chord.

Other chord qualities on the Bb root

Compare this chord with other qualities sharing the same root.