Bbm9

Bbm9 is Bb, Db, F, Ab and C, a minor ninth. The shape this page opens on is written x33324, lowest string first.

Also written Bbmin9, Bb-9 or Bb minor 9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Bbm9 on the guitar, and 34 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Bbm9 belongs to C# major (the vi), F minor (the iv), Ab major (the ii) and Bb minor (the i).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x33324, xx3524, 64x564, x46566, 686668, 9-11-10-10-11-9, x-13-11-13-13-x.

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. Bbm9 has 6465xx, x-13-11-13-13-x, xx8698.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Bbm9 has 6465xx, x-13-11-13-13-x, x3632x, xx6526, xx8698, 9-13-10-13-x-x, x-x-10-13-11-9, x4859x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Bbm9 has x3x324, 6x652x, 8x869x, x-13-x-13-13-9, 9-x-10-13-11-x, x4x596, x-11-x-6-11-8.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Bbm9 has x3312x, x4656x, xx6668, x-x-10-10-9-9, x-x-11-13-13-13, x-15-15-13-14-x, x3x121, xx3524.

Tensions. A shell of Bbm9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (Eb) and the 13 (G).

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