Chord · Bb Minor (1st Inversion)
B♭m/♭3 Chord
B♭m/♭3 is Db, F and Bb — minor triad with the third in the bass.
B♭m/♭3 on every instrument
The same 3 notes, 1 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What B♭m/♭3 is made of
Bb Minor (1st Inversion) (Bb minor (1st inversion)) is built from the notes Db, F, Bb, with the interval pattern b3, 5, 1. A common minor (1st inversion) chord across many styles.
Stack b3, 5 and 1 on a root of B♭ and you get Db, F and Bb. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a minor first inversion chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Cm/♭3 sounds like a transposed B♭m/♭3.
Minor (1st Inversion): Minor triad with the third 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 D♭ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain B♭m/♭3
All 3 notes sit inside the scale of 10 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on B♭
Same root, different colour.
The same minor first inversion shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about Bbm/b3
- What notes are in the Bbm/b3 chord?
- Bbm/b3 is made of Db, F and Bb — the b3, 5 and 1 degrees of a minor first inversion chord built on Bb.
- What keys use the Bbm/b3 chord?
- Every note of Bbm/b3 belongs to 10 keys: Ab Major (ii), Db Major (vi), F# Major (iii), Gb Major (iii), C# Major (vi), F Minor (iv), Bb Minor (i), D# Minor (v), Eb Minor (v), A# Minor (i). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Bbm/b3 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Bbm/b3 on piano — 1 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
- Is Bbm/b3 the same as A#m/b3?
- Yes. Bbm/b3 and A#m/b3 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Bbm/b3 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.
Learn the theory behind it
Why B♭m/♭3 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.