What notes are in the Bb/5 chord?

Bb/5 is made of F, Bb and D — the 5, 1 and 3 degrees of a major second inversion chord built on Bb.

What keys use the Bb/5 chord?

Every note of Bb/5 belongs to 6 keys: F Major (IV), Bb Major (I), Eb Major (V), D Minor (VI), G Minor (III), C Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.

How do you play Bb/5 on guitar and piano?

This page shows Bb/5 on piano — 1 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.

Is Bb/5 the same as A#/5?

Yes. Bb/5 and A#/5 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Bb/5 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Chord · Bb Major (2nd Inversion)

B♭/5 Chord

B♭/5 is F, Bb and D — major triad with the fifth in the bass.

Hear it

B♭/5 on every instrument

The same 3 notes, 1 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.

Piano1 voicing

What B♭/5 is made of

Bb Major (2nd Inversion) (Bb major (2nd inversion)) is built from the notes F, Bb, D, with the interval pattern 5, 1, 3. A common major (2nd inversion) chord across many styles.

Stack 5, 1 and 3 on a root of B♭ and you get F, Bb and D. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a major second inversion chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C/5 sounds like a transposed B♭/5.

Major (2nd Inversion): Major triad with the fifth in the bass.

Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with B♭ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.

Keys that contain B♭/5

All 3 notes sit inside the scale of 6 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.

Major keys

Minor keys

Other chords on B♭

Same root, different colour.

B♭Bb Major B♭mBb Minor B♭dimBb Diminished B♭augBb Augmented B♭sus2Bb Suspended 2nd B♭sus4Bb Suspended 4th B♭5Bb Power Chord B♭6Bb Major 6th

The same major second inversion shape, moved

The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.

C/5C Major (2nd Inversion)D/5D Major (2nd Inversion)E/5E Major (2nd Inversion)G/5G Major (2nd Inversion)A/5A Major (2nd Inversion)B/5B Major (2nd Inversion)F♯/5F# Major (2nd Inversion)D♭/5Db Major (2nd Inversion)

Questions people ask about Bb/5

What notes are in the Bb/5 chord?: Bb/5 is made of F, Bb and D — the 5, 1 and 3 degrees of a major second inversion chord built on Bb.
What keys use the Bb/5 chord?: Every note of Bb/5 belongs to 6 keys: F Major (IV), Bb Major (I), Eb Major (V), D Minor (VI), G Minor (III), C Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
How do you play Bb/5 on guitar and piano?: This page shows Bb/5 on piano — 1 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Is Bb/5 the same as A#/5?: Yes. Bb/5 and A#/5 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Bb/5 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Learn the theory behind it

Why B♭/5 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.

Barre Chords — The Wall Every Guitarist ClimbsThis one asks for a barre. The article is the fix for the buzzing and the aching hand.7 min read Chord Inversions and Slash Chords — Same Notes, Different AttitudeSame notes, different bass note — what the slash in the name is actually doing.5 min read Voice Leading — Hold What You Can, Move Only What You MustInversions exist so your fingers move less between chords. This is the technique behind them.6 min read