The 7 chords
B♭ · Cm · Dm · E♭ · F · Gm · Adim
Every major key follows the same pattern: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished.
Chord chart
B♭ Major chord chart
| Degree | Numeral | Chord | Notes | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | B♭ | B♭ – D – F | B♭maj7 | Tonic |
| 2 | ii | Cm | C – E♭ – G | Cm7 | Supertonic |
| 3 | iii | Dm | D – F – A | Dm7 | Mediant |
| 4 | IV | E♭ | E♭ – G – B♭ | E♭maj7 | Subdominant |
| 5 | V | F | F – A – C | F7 | Dominant |
| 6 | vi | Gm | G – B♭ – D | Gm7 | Submediant |
| 7 | vii° | Adim | A – C – E♭ | Am7b5 | Leading tone |
B♭ major scale: B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G – A. Key signature: 2 flats (B♭, E♭).
Progressions
Common chord progressions in B♭ Major
The pop progression
I – V – vi – IV
- IB♭
- VF
- viGm
- IVE♭
The four-chord loop behind a huge share of modern pop, rock and worship songs.
Three-chord progression
I – IV – V – I
- IB♭
- IVE♭
- VF
- IB♭
The three primary chords, I, IV and V — the backbone of blues, folk, country and early rock and roll.
Minor-start loop
vi – IV – I – V
- viGm
- IVE♭
- IB♭
- VF
The pop progression started on the vi. Same four chords, but opening on the minor chord makes the loop sound darker.
50s progression
I – vi – IV – V
- IB♭
- viGm
- IVE♭
- VF
The doo-wop progression of 1950s ballads, and still one of the most common loops in songwriting.
ii – V – I
ii7 – V7 – Imaj7
- ii7Cm7
- V7F7
- Imaj7B♭maj7
The jazz cadence, played with 7th chords as it almost always is. The single most common move in jazz standards.
Canon progression
I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – IV – V
- IB♭
- VF
- viGm
- iiiDm
- IVE♭
- IB♭
- IVE♭
- VF
The eight-chord sequence of Pachelbel's Canon, borrowed by countless pop songs since.
Want more? Generate a progression in B♭ Major by style, or build your own in the Chord Progression Player.
7th chords
7th chords in the key of B♭ Major
Add the next note of the scale on top of each chord and you get its diatonic 7th chord — the sound of jazz, soul and R&B in B♭ major.
On guitar
Playing in B♭ Major on guitar
2 of the 7 chords are open chords (Dm, Adim); B♭, Cm, E♭, F, Gm need a barre or a moveable shape. A capo lets you swap those for open shapes:
Capo 3 + G major shapes
Finger G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F#dim — they sound as B♭, Cm, Dm, E♭, F, Gm, Adim. 5 of the 7 shapes are open chords.
See the G major chords
Scales for soloing in B♭ Major
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The key of B♭ major has seven chords: B♭, Cm, Dm, E♭, F, Gm and Adim. Each is built from the notes of the B♭ major scale (B♭ C D E♭ F G A), so all seven share one key signature: 2 flats (B♭, E♭).
B♭, E♭ and F — the I, IV and V chords. Those three contain every note of the B♭ major scale between them, which is why so many songs in B♭ major use little else.
G minor. It uses the same seven chords and the same key signature as B♭ major; the difference is which chord feels like home. A song that keeps returning to Gm is in G minor; one that settles on B♭ is in B♭ major.
2 flats (B♭, E♭). B♭ major shares its key signature with its relative minor, G minor.
F, the V chord. Its 7th chord, F7, is the only dominant 7th in the key, and F7 → B♭ is the strongest way to end a song in B♭ major.
B♭maj7, Cm7, Dm7, E♭maj7, F7, Gm7 and Am7b5. Each adds the next note of the scale on top of the triad, which gives two major 7ths, three minor 7ths, one dominant 7th and one half-diminished (m7♭5).
Stacking the scale notes on A gives A, C, E♭: a minor 3rd and then another minor 3rd, so the 5th is flattened. It is the least-used chord in the key — songs often skip it, or use F7 where it would go.
Use a capo. Only 2 of the 7 chords in B♭ major are open chords, but with a capo on fret 3 you can play G major shapes (G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F#dim) and they sound in B♭ major. 5 of those shapes are open chords.
Related Tools
Circle of FifthsSee every key, its relative minor and its neighbours on one wheelKey FinderPaste a progression and detect its key with Roman numeral analysisChord Progression GeneratorPick a key and style to generate a diatonic progressionCapo CalculatorFind the capo position to play any key with open shapes