Want to learn to play the Bb guitar chord? You’re in the right place!
In this free guitar lesson you will learn:
- 3 super – easy ways to play the Bb guitar chord.
- The no1 secret to learning chords quickly.
- 3 tips and tricks that will take your guitar playing to the next level.
Over 100,000 guitar-learners get our world-class guitar tips & tutorials sent straight to their inbox: Click here to join them
How do I play the Bb Guitar Chord?
Before we get into learning how to play easy versions of the Bb guitar chord, let’s take a look at the two most common Bb major shapes.
Bb Guitar Chord Root On The E String
Here’s the main Bb guitar chord.
In this case, the root note (the first note in the chord) is on the low E string. (6th string.)
Here’s the chord box:
To play this chord:
- Place your 1st finger on the 6th fret of the low E string.(6th string.)
(This is tricky as you have to barre over! Have a go, but don’t worry if it’s too hard. Barre chords aren’t easy)
- Place your 3rd finger on the 8th fret of the A string. (5th string.)
- Place your 4th finger on the 8th fret of the D string. (4th string.)
- Place your 2nd finger on the 7th fret of the G string. (3rd string.)
- Strum all the strings.
Pro Guitar Tip!
If the word ‘minor’ isn’t in the name of the chord, this means that the chord is major.
So in today’s lesson we are learning a ‘Bb major chord’.
Learn 12 EASY beginner chords with our popular guide
✅ Stop struggling. Start making music.
✅ Learn beginner-friendly versions of every chord.
This is our most popular guide and it will improve your chord ability quickly! 😎
Get your own personalised guitar-learning plan 🎸
Get a custom guitar-learning plan here: Click here for GuitarMetrics™
World-Class Guitar Courses 🌎
Learn from the world's best guitar educators: Click here for our guitar courses
Bb Guitar Chord Root On The A String
Here’s another Bb major barre chord, this time the root is on the A string.
Here’s the chord box:
To play this chord:
- Barre your first finger on the 1st fret from the A string (5th string) to the high E string. (1st string.)
- Place your 2nd finger on the 3rd fret of the D string. (4th string.)
- Place your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the G string. (3rd string.)
- Place your 4th finger on the 3rd fret of the B string. (2nd string.)
Easy Ways To Play The Bb Guitar Chord
We’re going to show you 3 super-easy ways to play the Bb guitar chord.
For tips on guidance on how to barre chords, watch this video. Mike will help you.
Let’s get stuck in.
1) 2 Finger Bb Guitar Chord
This chord is perfect for beginners as it only uses two fingers.
Here’s the chord box:
To play this chord:
- Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the low E string (6th string.)
- Place your 2nd finger on the 1st fret of the A string (5th string.)
- Strum the E (6th string), A (5th string) and D string (4th string) together.
Don’t worry too much about hitting the wrong strings here, just concentrate on nailing this chord.
To learn how to skip strings while strumming, go here: How To Skip Strings While Strumming
2) 3 Finger Bb Guitar Chord
This chord is fantastic for beginners as it only uses 3 fingers.
It can be tricky to squeeze the fingers into place, however once you have this chord down you’ll be rocking out in no time.
Here’s the chord box:
To play this Bb guitar chord:
- Place your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the G string. (3rd string.)
- Place your 4th finger on the 3rd fret of the B string (2nd string.)
- Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the high E string. (1st string.)
Want free guitar tips and video lessons delivered to your inbox?
Join over 100,000 guitar learners and subscribe to our guitar-tips-by-email service. (It's free.)
We'll send you a series of lessons that will move you to the next level of your guitar journey.
Learn how everything fits together quickly, easily and effectively. We share ninja tips (for instant fun!) but also timeless fundamentals that will deepen your understanding.
Our Guitar Courses
To become a better guitarist click here to see our guitar courses
Get your personalised guitar-learning plan 🎸
Want us to make a guitar-learning plan that is customised to you? Click here for GuitarMetrics™
3) The A Shape Bb Guitar Chord
This Bb guitar chord uses the exact same shape as the ‘A major chord’.
Let’s compare. Here’s the A chord:
If you already know how to play the standard A major chord, just move this shape to the 3rd fret.
Here’s the Bb guitar chord:
To play this chord:
- Place your 1st finger on the 3rd fret of the D string. (4th string.)
- Place your 2nd finger on the 3rd fret of the G string. (3rd string.)
- Place your 3rd Finger on the 3rd fret of the B string. (2nd string.)
Learning the guitar is good for you, it’s scientifically proven. Check out this article by Guitar World to find out more: 10 Scientifically Proven Reasons You Should Play Guitar
I don’t want to cut corners, let me learn the hard guitar chords first!
If you’re a complete beginner, the quickest way to learn guitar is to learn the EASIEST chords first. Learning more advanced guitar chords stunts your progress.
It’s far better to learn easy chords first, then when you’re ready, you can ‘graduate’ to more advanced chords.
That way you’re gradually preparing yourself for each step of your guitar journey.
When you’re first learning how to play guitar, it’s far more important to play MUSIC than focus on advanced guitar chords. Do your guitar progress a favour and learn how to play some super-simple songs.
You can find easy songs here: 10 Easy Songs On Guitar
How do I remember guitar chords?
Here’s a quick and easy tip which will help you remember guitar chords at lightening speed.
- Once you’ve played a chord correctly, squeeze your fretting hand 5 times.
This chord hack will help you learn chords quickly and effectively. However, it’s important that you play the chord correctly BEFORE you squeeze your hand.
If the chord is incorrect, and you squeeze your hand, you’ll be teaching your hand to remember the chord wrong.
What about other chords?
If you want to become an epic guitarist, you must know how to play other guitar chords.
Here’s a list of essential chords that you must know.
- The C Chord
- The A Minor Chord
- The G Chord
- The D Chord
- Bm Guitar Chord
- The E Major Chord
- The Em Chord
You can learn all of these chords here: 14 Easy Guitar Chords For Beginners
Why do I need to know beginner guitar chords?
Guitar chords form the foundation of ALL music.
You must know guitar chords to be able play easy songs! Learning guitar chords is also a fantastic way of enhancing your musicality.
If you want to learn easy songs and how to enhance your musicality, check out these FREE lessons:
Here are some other cool-sounding Bb chords
.
What Type of Guitarist Are You?
Take our 60-second quiz & get your results: Take The Quiz
Join the world's best online guitar school 🌎
- Get your own personalised guitar learning plan (customised just for YOU).
- World-class online guitar courses. Learn at your own pace.
- Community Campus & Learning Forum - A friendly community! Connect with our team & students. 😊
- Beginner Song library with chordsheets, tabs and tips. (Songs suitable for all levels!)
- Regular live streams, seminars and Q&A sessions - Learn from world-class guitar educators. Get all your questions answered!
Click here to learn more about National Guitar Academy membership
Cool Guitar T-shirts 😎
Look cooler! Check out our merch: Click here to see our merch store
Want free guitar tips and video lessons delivered to your inbox?
Join over 100,000 guitar-learners and subscribe to our guitar-tips-by-email service. (It's free.)
We'll send you a series of lessons that will move you to the next level of your guitar journey.
Learn how everything fits together quickly, easily and effectively. We share ninja tips (for instant fun!) but also timeless fundamentals that will deepen your understanding.
Popular Lessons
How To Learn Guitar: An 11-Step Programme For Beginners
How To Choose The Perfect Beginner Guitar
More Cool Guitar Stuff
Learn about National Guitar Academy: About Us
Join us on Facebook for daily guitar tips.
Listen to our Learn Guitar Podcast for rapid guitar progress.
Check out our free chord lessons.
What Type of Guitarist Are You?
Take our 60-second quiz & get your results: Take The Quiz
Join the world's best online guitar school 🌎
- Get your own personalised guitar learning plan (customised just for YOU).
- World-class online guitar courses. Learn at your own pace.
- Community Campus & Learning Forum - A friendly community! Connect with our team & students. 😊
- Beginner Song library with chordsheets, tabs and tips. (Songs suitable for all levels!)
- Regular live streams, seminars and Q&A sessions - Learn from world-class guitar educators. Get all your questions answered!
Click here to learn more about National Guitar Academy membership
Cool Guitar T-shirts 😎
Look cooler! Check out our merch: Click here to see our merch store
Want free guitar tips and video lessons delivered to your inbox?
Join over 100,000 guitar-learners and subscribe to our guitar-tips-by-email service. (It's free.)
We'll send you a series of lessons that will move you to the next level of your guitar journey.
Learn how everything fits together quickly, easily and effectively. We share ninja tips (for instant fun!) but also timeless fundamentals that will deepen your understanding.
Popular Lessons
How To Learn Guitar: An 11-Step Programme For Beginners
How To Choose The Perfect Beginner Guitar
More Cool Guitar Stuff
Learn about National Guitar Academy: About Us
Join us on Facebook for daily guitar tips.
Listen to our Learn Guitar Podcast for rapid guitar progress.
Check out our free chord lessons.
Get our best guitar tips & videos
Where should we send it?
Get our best guitar tips & videos