Bb5 chord (B flat power chord) on bass
Bb5 (B flat power chord) has two notes: B flat and F. Its formula is 1, 5.
How to play Bb5 on bass
Low notes close together sound muddy, so bass players spread a chord out and leave notes out. Forms with a 3rd or 7th sound clear from about the E string's 8th fret up, so they start there; root and 5th stays low. These forms put the root on the E string; the same shapes work from the A string.
Fingers: 1 on E, 3 on A.
Fingers: 1 on E, 3 on A, 3 on D.
Hear it and see every shape in ScaleSpace →
| Symbol | Bb5 |
|---|---|
| Also written | Bb(no3) |
| Notes | Bb F |
| Formula | 1 5 |
| Intervals | root, perfect fifth |
| Type | Power chord chord |
Bb5 across the neck
Bass · 4-string, tuned low to high: E, A, D, G. 24 frets.
- E string: fret 1 F (5), fret 6 Bb (1), fret 13 F (5), fret 18 Bb (1).
- A string: fret 1 Bb (1), fret 8 F (5), fret 13 Bb (1), fret 20 F (5).
- D string: fret 3 F (5), fret 8 Bb (1), fret 15 F (5), fret 20 Bb (1).
- G string: fret 3 Bb (1), fret 10 F (5), fret 15 Bb (1), fret 22 F (5).
Swipe the chart sideways to see all of it.
Questions
What notes are in the Bb5 chord?
Bb5 (B flat power chord) has two notes: B flat and F. Its formula is 1, 5. Bb is the root and F is the perfect fifth.
How do you play Bb5 on bass?
Bass players spread it out rather than strum it. The simplest form is the root and 5th: 1 5, root on the E string, fret 6. Fingers: 1 on E, 3 on A.
Is Bb5 major or minor?
Neither. Bb5 is only the root and the 5th, Bb and F, with no 3rd, so it fits under both Bb and Bbm. That is why it sounds clean with distortion.