Bbm Ukulele Chord

Bbm is the B flat minor chord. It has three notes: B flat, D flat and F. The standard shape is a small barre: index flat across the C, E and A strings at the 1st fret, with the ring finger on the 3rd fret of the G string.

The small barre: index across the C, E and A strings at the 1st fret, ring finger on the 3rd fret of the G string. Movable: the same grip one fret up is Bm.

How to play Bbm on ukulele, step by step

Index finger: press flat across the C to A strings at fret 1
Ring finger: 3rd fret, G string
Strum all four strings.

Nothing in this grip depends on B flat. Slide everything up one fret and it becomes Bm, two frets and it is a Cm. One shape, many chords: the fret decides the name.

More ways to play Bbm

There are 3 common Bbm 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.

Bbm ukulele chord diagram, frets 3 to 6, played 3564 — Frets 3 to 6

Bbm ukulele chord diagram, frets 5 to 8, played 6568 — Frets 5 to 8

If the barre will not ring

The E string dies under the barre: Roll the index slightly onto its outer edge so the firmer side of the finger presses the strings. Three strings is a short barre; it needs placement, not force.
The G string buzzes: The ring finger is doing separate work above the barre. Keep it curled and press just behind the 3rd fret, not on top of it.
The chord sounds sour: Check the barre sits at the 1st fret and the ring finger at the 3rd. One fret off on either finger turns the chord into something else entirely.

What makes it a Bbm

B♭ · D♭ · F 1 ♭3 5

Bbm is a minor triad: B flat, a minor third D flat, and a fifth F. Its home is the flat keys: it is the vi chord of D flat major, which ukulele charts usually spell as C sharp, and the ii chord of A flat, keys that arrive from piano and horn arrangements more often than from strummed songbooks.

On the ukulele Bbm is many players' first barre chord in miniature: only three strings to cover, and the whole shape sits inside three frets at the soft end of the neck. Learn it clean here and every minor chord built from this grip comes free further up.

Bbm vs Bb

Bb major is 3211, with the middle finger holding a D on the 2nd fret of the C string. Bbm flattens exactly that note: the barre takes over the C string at the 1st fret, D flat instead of D. One finger's difference, and the whole chord turns dark.

The pair is a neat demonstration of how little separates major from minor: the third moves down one fret and everything else stays put.

Bbm chord questions

Is Bbm the same as A#m?

Yes, one chord with two names. Flat keys write Bbm, sharp keys write A#m. On the fretboard nothing changes.

Is Bbm hard on the ukulele?

It is one of the first shapes that needs a barre, but the barre covers only three strings at the 1st fret. Most players get it far faster than the guitar version.

What is the difference between Bbm and Bb?

One note: Bbm has a D flat where Bb has a D. In the shapes, that is the C string at the 1st fret instead of the 2nd.

Can I play Bbm without the barre?

Yes: put one finger each on the C, E and A strings at the 1st fret and reach the G string's 3rd fret with the pinky. Most hands find the small barre easier, but both work.

Where does Bbm show up?

In flat keys: it is the ii chord of A flat and the vi chord of D flat. Songs carried over from piano reach for it more than ukulele originals do.