A# or B♭ Add9
1st FretA-shape moveable add9 rooted on B♭ at fret 1 — barre fret 1 with the index, then reach D fret 3, G fret 5, and B fret 3. Mute the low E. Fully moveable to any root.
A# or B♭ Add9
6th FretCompact voicing on the top four strings — root (B♭) on D fret 8, 3rd (D) on G fret 7, 5th (F) on B fret 6, 9th (C) on high e fret 8. A bright, moveable add9 shape.
A# or B♭ Add9
6th Fret (E-shape)E-shape moveable add9 with the root on the low E string at fret 6 — index barres fret 6, ring covers A and D at fret 8, middle on G fret 7, pinky on high e fret 8. A full six-string voicing.
Think B♭, not A#
This chord is almost always written B♭add9. The shapes and sound are identical to A#add9 — only the spelling changes.
Use the moveable A-shape
The x-1-3-5-3-1 barre at fret 1 is the most reliable B♭add9. Slide it up two frets for Cadd9 or up to fret 8 for Fadd9.
No open strings
B♭add9 has no open-string voicing in standard tuning, so every shape is fretted and moveable.
Mute the low E on the A-shape
The A-shape skips the low E. Rest the side of your index finger against it so it stays quiet when you strum.
A bright flat-key colour
In flat keys, swap a plain B♭ major for B♭add9 to add an open, modern shimmer — common in soul and worship.
About the B♭add9 Chord on Guitar
The B♭add9 chord (also written A#add9) is built from four notes: B♭ (the root), D (the major 3rd), F (the perfect 5th), and C (the 9th). It is the B♭ major triad with an added 9th and no 7th — bright and open, with a shimmering colour over a firmly major base. Because none of its notes match open guitar strings, every voicing is fretted and moveable. It is enharmonically identical to A#add9 — same pitch, same shapes, but almost always spelled B♭add9. This page covers three voicings: a moveable A-shape barre, a top-four-string form, and a full E-shape barre. Every diagram is interactive and playable with acoustic guitar sound.
- 013 A#add9 or B♭add9 chord shapes from intermediate to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04A-shape barre, top-four-string voicing, and an E-shape moveable form
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 4 notes that form the A# or B♭ Add9 chord and their role in the major scale.
Every add9 chord follows this same formula — root, major third, perfect fifth, and the major 9th added on top (no 7th).