Bbmadd9

Bbmadd9 is Bb, Db, F and C, a minor add nine. The shape this page opens on is written x4331x, lowest string first.

Note by note. Bb is the root, Db is the minor third, F is the fifth and C is the ninth.

Also written Bbm(add9), Bbmin(add9) or Bb-add9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Bbmadd9 on the guitar, and 22 derived voicings in 2 families.

One note away. Change a single note of Bbmadd9 and you have Bbm (with one note taken away), Bbsus2 (with one note taken away), Bbsus2sus4 (with one note moved), Bbm6 (with one note moved), Bbm69 (with one note added) or Bbm7 (with one note moved).

In which keys. Every note of Bbmadd9 belongs to C# major (the vi), F minor (the iv), Ab major (the ii) and Bb minor (the i).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x4331x, 64x56x, 688668, xx8668, x-x-11-10-11-8, x-13-11-10-13-x, x-13-11-x-13-13.

Under the hand. None of the shapes for Bbmadd9 uses an open string, so every one of them is movable; the lowest sits at the 1st fret. 2 of the 7 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 13th.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Bbmadd9 has x3332x, xx8668, 8886xx, x-x-10-10-11-9, x-15-15-15-14-x, xx3526, 6435xx, x4856x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Bbmadd9 has x3x321, 6x352x, x4x566, 8x866x, x-13-x-10-13-9, 9-x-10-10-11-x, 13-x-11-15-13-x, x-15-x-15-14-13.

What kind of chord this is. Bbmadd9 is a minor chord — root, minor third, fifth. minor chords on every root, and what they are for.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.