1,008 guitar chords with several shapes each, finger numbers, difficulty and real sound, in any tuning.
B♭/D means “B♭ with D in the bass”: play a B♭ major chord and make D the lowest note. Because D is already in the chord (its major third), this is the first inversion of B♭.
The notes, low to high, are D, B♭, F. The library above opens on B♭/D with 14 shapes that keep D at the bottom; tap one to hear it.
| Note | Degree | Interval from B♭ | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| B♭ | 1 | root | 0 |
| D | 3 (bass) | major third | 4 |
| F | 5 | perfect fifth | 7 |
Formula: 1 – 3 – 5. On guitar the 5th is often left out of the bigger shapes without changing the chord. With the other spelling, A♯/D is C𝄪, A♯, E♯: the same sounds under different names.
xx0331x533xxxx033xxxx766(10)88xxxxx(12)(10)(11)xWith the major third in the bass, B♭/D sounds lighter and less final than plain B♭: good in the middle of a phrase, not at its end.
In B♭ major, E♭ – B♭/D – Cm walks the bass down step by step (E♭, D, C) while the chords on top change. Played the other way, Cm – B♭/D – E♭, the bass climbs.
When a chord sheet writes B♭/D, play the chord on top and let D be the lowest string you strum; if you play with a bass player, the bass plays D.
D, B♭, F: the root, major third, fifth.
Open position: xx0331 (low string first), rated Beginner.
No. The easiest shape is rated Beginner and needs 3 fingers.