Bbmmaj9

BbmMaj9 is Bb, Db, F, A and C, a minor major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 143211, lowest string first.

Also written BbmM9, Bbm(maj9) or Bb-Δ9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for BbmMaj9 on the guitar, and 29 derived voicings in 4 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 143211, 64x565, 6475xx, 687668, 8-8-8-10-10-9, x-13-11-14-13-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. BbmMaj9 has 6475xx, x-x-8-6-10-8, x-13-11-14-13-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. BbmMaj9 has 6475xx, x-x-8-6-10-8, x-13-11-14-13-x, x3732x, xx7526, 9-13-10-14-x-x, x-x-10-14-11-9.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. BbmMaj9 has x3x325, 8-x-8-6-10-x, 6x752x, x-13-x-14-13-9, 9-x-10-14-11-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. BbmMaj9 has x3322x, xx7668, x-x-10-10-10-9, x-15-15-14-14-x, x3x221, xx3525, x4756x, x4x565.

Tensions. A shell of BbmMaj9, 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.