Bbm9 Guitar Chord

Bbm9 is the B flat minor ninth chord. It has five notes: B flat, D flat, F, A flat and C. The main shape is a barre at the 6th fret with the root on the low E string and the ninth on top.

The Em9 barre shape at the 6th fret: index across five strings, root on the low E, and the ninth up on the high E string. Movable, so this one grip is any minor ninth chord.

How to play Bbm9, step by step

Index finger: press flat across the low E to B strings at fret 6
Ring finger: 8th fret, A string
Pinky finger: 8th fret, high E string
Strum all six strings.

Nothing in the grip is specific to B flat. The note under the index on the low E names the chord, so the same shape one fret down is Am9 and one fret up is Bm9.

More ways to play Bbm9

There are 2 common Bbm9 shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Bbm9 guitar chord diagram, barre at fret 13, played x 13 11 13 13 13 — Barre at fret 13

If the barre fights back

Notes under the barre drop out: The index has to hold four sounding strings at the 6th fret. Roll it slightly onto its outer edge and keep it close behind the fret wire, where the least pressure is needed.
The pinky misses the high E: It reaches over the barre to the 8th fret, and if it lands flat it kills the C, the ninth, which is the whole point of the chord. Arch it and land on the tip.
The fingers feel crowded: At the 6th fret the frets are narrower than in open position. Bring the thumb behind the middle of the neck and let the wrist drop a little to open the hand.

What makes it a Bbm9

B♭ · D♭ · F · A♭ · C 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9

Bbm9 is a Bbm7 chord with a ninth added: B flat, D flat, F and A flat make the minor seventh, and the C on top makes it a ninth. In the barre shape that C sits on the high E string, ringing above everything else.

It is the ii chord of A flat and the vi chord of D flat, both flat keys that live in soul, gospel and jazz. A guitarist usually meets Bbm9 in horn driven material, where the minor ninth is the normal minor chord rather than a decoration.

Bbm9 vs Bbm7

Bbm9 is Bbm7 with a C added on top. The four note chord is calm and a little plain; the ninth adds the modern, floating quality that soul and R and B rely on.

Both chords are barres for B flat, so the effort is the same. Where a chart writes Bbm7, the ninth almost always fits, and it is usually the sound the arrangement wanted.

Bbm9 chord questions

Is Bbm9 the same as A#m9?

Yes, one chord with two names. B flat suits the flat keys this chord lives in, so it is the spelling used here.

What is the difference between Bbm9 and Bbm7?

Bbm9 has a C, the ninth, added to the four notes of Bbm7. It is the same chord with more colour on top.

Is Bbm9 hard to play?

It is one of the harder shapes on the site: a five string barre with the ring and pinky working above it. If it fights you, build up with Bbm7 first, then add the pinky.

Is there a Bbm9 without the full barre?

The second shape on this page puts the root on the A string at the 13th fret with no six string barre. It sits high on the neck, so it is easier on an electric than an acoustic.

Where is Bbm9 used?

As the ii chord in A flat, as the vi in D flat, and all through soul, gospel and jazz, where flat keys and minor ninths are the working language.