Bb69

Bb69 is Bb, D, F, G and C, a six-nine. The shape this page opens on is written x10011, lowest string first.

Also written Bb6/9, Bb6add9 or Bb six nine. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Bb69 on the guitar, and 49 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Bb69 belongs to C minor (the ♭VII), D minor (the ♭VI), Eb major (the V), F major (the IV), G minor (the ♭III) and Bb major (the I).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x10011, x33333, 655566, xx8788, x88788, x-10-10-10-11-10, x-13-10-12-11-10, x-13-12-12-13-13.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Bb69 has x1001x, 6555xx, xx8788, x-13-12-12-13-x, 6x001x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Bb69 has xx0313, x1001x, x3533x, 3303xx, 6555xx, xx8788, x-x-10-12-11-10, x-13-12-12-13-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Bb69 has 3x031x, x3x333, 6x553x, x5x586, 8x878x, x-10-x-7-11-8, x-13-x-12-13-10, 10-x-10-12-11-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Bb69 has xx0011, x3303x, xx3533, x5556x, x-x-10-10-8-10, x-x-12-12-13-13, x3x031, x5x563.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Bb69 has 6x5530, x55560, x35330, 3300xx.

Tensions. A shell of Bb69, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (E).

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