Mandolin · key of B♭ major

Chords in the key of B♭ major

The seven chords in the key of B♭ major are B♭, Cm, Dm, E♭, F, Gm and Adim. B♭, E♭ and F are the major chords (I, IV and V), Cm, Dm and Gm are the minor chords (ii, iii and vi), and Adim is diminished (vii°). Its relative minor is G minor, which uses the same seven chords.

Key

Scale

The chords of B♭ major
Numeral	Triad	Notes	Seventh chord	Notes	Number	Role
I	B♭home	B♭ D F	B♭maj7home	B♭ D F A	1	tonic
ii	Cmrestless	C E♭ G	Cm7restless	C E♭ G B♭	2m	supertonic
iii	Dmhalf-light	D F A	Dm7half-light	D F A C	3m	mediant
IV	E♭the door	E♭ G B♭	E♭maj7the door	E♭ G B♭ D	4	subdominant
V	Fthe pull	F A C	F7the pull	F A C E♭	5	dominant
vi	Gmthe shadow	G B♭ D	Gm7the shadow	G B♭ D F	6m	submediant
vii°	Adimthe edge	A C E♭	Am7♭5the edge	A C E♭ G	7°	leading tone

Sound

Strum or arpeggiate any chord, tap a note to hear it, drag the strip under a picture to play it further up the neck, or pick another inversion. Library opens the chord there, with every other way to play it.

B♭

LibraryMandolin · Standard

I · tonic

Cm

LibraryMandolin · Standard

ii · supertonic

Dm

LibraryMandolin · Standard

iii · mediant

E♭

LibraryMandolin · Standard

IV · subdominant

F

LibraryMandolin · Standard

V · dominant

Gm

LibraryMandolin · Standard

vi · submediant

Adim

LibraryMandolin · Standard

vii° · leading tone

Chord progressions in B♭ major

Press a chord to hear it and see its shape, or Play to hear the progression on mandolin. The colours say what each chord does in the key.

Sound Pattern Tempo85

↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.

Colours

homethe pullthe doorthe shadowrestlesshalf-light

What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.

The three-chord trick

I | IV | V | I

Key Chord chart

The chords of countless folk, country, blues and rock and roll songs.

The pop progression

I | V | vi | IV

Key Chord chart

I–V–vi–IV, behind a great many hits since the 1980s.

The fifties progression

I | vi | IV | V

Key Chord chart

I–vi–IV–V, the doo-wop changes.

The pop progression from its minor chord

vi | IV | I | V

Key Chord chart

vi–IV–I–V: the pop progression started on its minor chord, which gives it a sadder sound.

The royal road

IV | V | iii | vi

Key Chord chart

IV–V–iii–vi, a favourite of Japanese pop.

ii–V–I

ii7 | V7 | Imaj7 | Imaj7

Key Chord chart

The turnaround of jazz, in seventh chords.

The relative minor: G minor

G minor has the same notes and the same seven chords as B♭ major, starting from G. A song in one often moves to the other. The parallel minor, B♭ minor, starts on the same note with a different set of chords.

Play it with a capo

B♭ major takes barre chords on mandolin. A capo lets you play it with the open shapes of an easier key:

Capo 1, the shapes of A major: A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m and G♯dim
Capo 3, the shapes of G major: G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F♯dim

The B♭ major scale and key signature

The notes of B♭ major are B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, A. Its key signature has two flats: B♭ and E♭. Each chord of the key is built from these notes, a third apart: a chord on every note of the scale. See the B♭ major scale on the mandolin neck, and the B♭ major pentatonic.

Keys nearby

On the circle of fifths, F major and E♭ major sit on either side of B♭ major. Each shares six of its seven notes, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.

Every key

C D♭D E♭E F F♯G A♭A B♭B

C minor C♯ minor D minor E♭ minor E minor F minor F♯ minor G minor G♯ minor A minor B♭ minor B minor

All twenty-four on one page: chords in every key. To print these chords, open them as a chord chart, or make your own in the chord chart maker. This key on guitar, bass, ukulele and banjo.