About the B flat six nine chord
B flat six nine is used in B flat Major, where every note it holds is a scale tone. Think of it as a B♭ six-nine chord.
Its notes are B♭, D, F, G, and C. The intervals are a major third, a perfect fifth, a major sixth, and a major ninth.
Also called 6add9 and major 6/9. A sharp six nine spells the same notes enharmonically.
Inversions
B flat six nine (root position)
Notes and intervals
| 1 | BbB♭ | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | DD | Major 3rd |
| 3 | FF | Perfect 5th |
| 4 | GG | Major 6th |
| 5 | CC | Major 9th |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Other B flat chords
Simpler triads
Suspended
Sixths and sevenths
Extensions
Altered
Functional relationships
These chords are where this one most naturally comes from and resolves to inside a key.
Relative minor
The relative minor uses the same notes and key signature, so it works as a calmer, darker home base.
Parallel minor
The parallel minor keeps the same root note but lowers the third, giving the same key a darker, sadder sound.
Dominant
The dominant is a fifth above the root, and it builds tension that pulls strongly back to this chord.
Subdominant
The subdominant is a fourth above the root (a fifth below), and it usually leads on to the dominant or back home.
Tritone substitution
The tritone substitution stands in for this chord's dominant with a dominant seventh a half step above the root, which slides down by a half step to resolve here.