Bb9 Ukulele Chord

Bb9 is the B flat dominant ninth chord. On ukulele it keeps four of its five notes: B flat, D, A flat and C, with the fifth left out. The standard shape is a four finger grip inside the first four frets.

2143B♭DA♭C

All four fingers inside the first four frets: root on the G string at the 3rd fret, third on the C string, seventh and ninth on top. Fully movable.

How to play Bb9 on ukulele, step by step

  1. Index finger: 2nd fret, C string
  2. Middle finger: 3rd fret, G string
  3. Ring finger: 3rd fret, A string
  4. Pinky finger: 4th fret, E string
  5. Strum all four strings.

This is the A9 grip moved up one fret: nothing in the shape is open, so it slides as one piece. The root stays under the finger on the G string wherever it lands.

More ways to play Bb9

There are 3 common Bb9 shapes: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these further up the neck. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Frets 3 to 5
Bb9 ukulele chord diagram, frets 3 to 5, played 3045

Lighter and more open than the standard grip, with the ninth ringing loose in the middle of the chord.

Barre at fret 5
Bb9 ukulele chord diagram, barre at fret 5, played 5865

Round and brassy, the closest a ukulele gets to a horn section ninth. Best where the chord holds for a full bar.

If the shape is not clean

Four fingers crowd the low frets
Index on the C string at the 2nd fret first, then build the others around it. The shape is a fixed claw; once it is set, only the wrist should move.
The E string note dies
The pinky holds the seventh at the 4th fret of the E string, the deepest reach in the grip. Bring the elbow slightly forward so the pinky lands on its tip.
The chord sounds thick and unclear
Every note is fretted, so any half pressed finger mutes its neighbour. Play the four strings one at a time and fix the string that does not ring.

What makes it a Bb9

B♭ · D · F · A♭ · C 1 3 5 ♭7 9

Bb9 is a Bb7 chord with a ninth added: B flat, D and A flat carry the seventh chord and the C on top is the ninth. A ukulele has four strings for those five notes, so the fifth, F, is left out, the same note a guitar ninth grip drops.

It is the V chord of E flat, a horn key, which is why this chord turns up in jazz, soul and gospel charts far more often than in campfire songbooks.

Bb9 vs Bb7

Bb9 adds a C on top of Bb7. Both lean toward E flat, and the ninth is the smoother, more arranged sounding of the two.

Bb7 on ukulele is a barre chord; Bb9 trades the barre for four separate fingers. Many players find the ninth grip cleaner once their fingers know where it sits.

Bb9 chord questions

Is Bb9 the same as A#9?

Yes, one chord with two names. Flat keys are where this chord lives, so B flat is the spelling used here.

Why is there no F in these shapes?

A ukulele has four strings and Bb9 has five notes. The fifth adds the least, so every chart leaves it out of ninth chords.

Is there an easier Bb9?

The shape at frets 3 to 5 uses the open C string as the ninth, so it needs only three fingers. It sounds lighter than the standard grip.

Can I move the standard shape?

Yes. With no open strings it slides whole: one fret down is A9, one fret up is B9. The root is on the G string.

Where is Bb9 used?

As the V chord in E flat, in jazz and soul progressions, and in blues in B flat, where it is the I chord with extra colour.

Chords to learn next

Other Bb chords