A♯/B♭ Major Chord on Piano: Notes, Fingering & Inversions

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	B♭, D, F	1-3-5
Left	B♭, D, F	5-3-1

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	B♭	Perfect unison	0
3	D	Major third	4
5	F	Perfect fifth	7

Construction

B♭ Major = Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 5th = B♭, D, F

Note	Interval	Degree
B♭	Root	1
D	Major 3rd	3
F	Perfect 5th	5

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
B♭	black	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
D	white	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
F	white	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on B♭, middle finger (3) on D, little finger (5) on F.

Left hand: little finger (5) on B♭, middle finger (3) on D, thumb (1) on F.

B♭ Major Inversions

Root position
B♭ – D – F
1st inversion (B♭/D)
D – F – B♭
2nd inversion (B♭/F)
F – B♭ – D

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the B♭ Major is the tonic (I) chord of B♭ Major, whose key signature has 2 flats (B♭, E♭).

B♭E♭

Order of flats

Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Chords in the Key of B♭ Major

These are the triads built on each degree of B♭ Major:

I — B♭ Major (major)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	I	B♭ Major	Major
2	ii	C Minor	Minor
3	iii	D Minor	Minor
4	IV	E♭ Major	Major
5	V	F Major	Major
6	vi	G Minor	Minor
7	vii°	A Diminished	Diminished

How B♭ Major functions in a key

The same chord takes on a different harmonic role depending on the key it appears in. Here is where B♭ Major sits diatonically across the common keys:

In B♭ major, B♭ Major is the I chord — the tonic.
In D minor, B♭ Major is the VI chord — the tonic.
In E♭ major, B♭ Major is the V chord — the dominant.
In F major, B♭ Major is the IV chord — a predominant.
In G minor, B♭ Major is the III chord — a mediant / color chord.
In C minor, B♭ Major is the ♭VII chord — a mediant / color chord.

Scales That Include the B♭ Major

Eb Major (V)
Bb Major (I)
F Major (IV)
D Minor (VI)
G Minor (III)
C Minor (VII)
F Dorian (IV)
G Phrygian (III)

B♭ Major : Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in B♭?

B♭ contains B♭, D and F. The formula is 1, 3, 5.

How do you play B♭ on piano?

Play B♭, D and F together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. B♭ is a black key; D and F are white.

What are the inversions of B♭?

3 positions: root position B♭ D F, B♭/D, B♭/F.

What keys contain B♭?

6: ♭VII in C minor, ♭VI in D minor, V in E♭ major, IV in F major, ♭III in G minor, I in B♭ major.

What is the difference between B♭ and B♭maj7?

Adds A. 3 of the notes are shared.

What is an easy B♭ for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, B♭3 D4, spans 4 semitones or about 55 mm.

What are the frequencies of B♭?

From B♭3 at A440 in 12-TET: 233.08, 293.66, 349.23 Hz.

What is the set class of B♭?

Prime form (037), Forte 3-11, interval vector <001110>.

How do I transpose B♭ to another key?

Keep the 1, 3, 5 formula on the new root. C is C, E, G; C♯ is C♯, E♯, G♯.

Is A♯ the same as B♭?

Enharmonically yes: the same piano keys and the same sound, spelled differently.

B♭ Major in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	B♭3 D4 F4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	D4 F4 B♭4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	F4 B♭4 D5	9	124 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	B♭2 F3 D4	16	220 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation	Fit
Root and third only	B♭3 D4	4	55 mm	omits F	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	B♭	B♭3, D4, F4	5/3	7	96 mm
First inversion: B♭/D	D	D4, F4, B♭4	6/3	8	110 mm
Second inversion: B♭/F	F	F4, B♭4, D5	6/4	9	124 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Progression	Key	Role	Sequence	Voice leading
♭VII, i	C minor	♭VII	B♭ to Cm	B♭ opens the phrase
♭VI, iv, i, v	D minor	♭VI	B♭ to Gm to Dm to Am	B♭ opens the phrase
i, ♭VI	D minor	♭VI	Dm to B♭	2 tones held from Dm
V, I	E♭ major	V	B♭ to E♭	B♭ opens the phrase
ii, V, I	E♭ major	V	Fm to B♭ to E♭	1 tone held from Fm
IV, V, I	F major	IV	B♭ to C to F	B♭ opens the phrase
I, IV	F major	IV	F to B♭	1 tone held from F

Root motion, common tones and voice displacement are computed from pitch class sets. Roman numerals follow common practice functional harmony.

Which keys it belongs to

Key	Roman numeral	Function
C minor	♭VII	Subtonic
D minor	♭VI	Pre-dominant color
E♭ major	V	Dominant, wants to resolve
F major	IV	Subdominant, away from home
G minor	♭III	Relative-major color
B♭ major	I	Tonic, home

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
B♭maj7	adds A	1 3 5 7	3
B♭7	adds A♭	1 3 5 ♭7	3
B♭6	adds G	1 3 5 6	3
B♭add9	adds C	1 3 5 9	3
B♭m	D becomes D♭	1 ♭3 5	2
B♭aug	F becomes F♯	1 3 ♯5	2
B♭sus2	D becomes C	1 2 5	2
B♭sus4	D becomes E♭	1 4 5	2
B♭m7	D becomes D♭, A♭	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	2
B♭mMaj7	D becomes D♭, A	1 ♭3 5 7	2
B♭aug7	F becomes F♯, A♭	1 3 ♯5 ♭7	2
B♭7sus4	D becomes E♭, A♭	1 4 5 ♭7	2

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
B♭3	58	233.08 Hz
D4	62	293.66 Hz
F4	65	349.23 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {10, 2, 5}
Normal order: [10, 2, 5]
Prime form: (037)
Forte number: 3-11
Interval vector: <001110>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
B♭ to D	Major third	4	4
B♭ to F	Perfect fifth	7	5
D to F	Minor third	3	3

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a major applied to the root B♭, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

B♭ Major

Fingerings

B♭ Major: notes and degrees