B Flat Major Piano Chord – Hands, Finger Positions, Diagrams
Chords are a foundational aspect of a lot of our favorite music. The B-flat major chord is used in music from a variety of genres and styles. This chord is made up of three notes, and can be played in any range on the piano.
In this article, you will learn the notes that make up the B-flat major piano chord, how to play it in each hand, as well as some music theory aspects that go into building the chord.
Which Notes Are in the B-Flat Major Chord?
The B-flat major chord consists of three notes: B-flat, D, and F. The chord makes use of both white keys and black keys, as B-flat is a black key, and D and F are white keys. This chord can be played in any range on the piano.
Experiment with playing the chord in different octaves to see what kind of effect it creates! The images below show the B-flat major chord notated for the treble clef (right hand) and the bass clef (left hand).
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Piano Finger Numbers
When playing the piano, it is important to know that piano sheet music often features numbers above or below the notes. These are finger numbers—they tell you which finger to use to play the note.
The finger numbers are the same on each hand: the thumb is always number one, the pointer finger is number two, the middle finger is number three, the ring finger is number four, and the pinky is number five. These finger numbers are shown for each hand in the photos below.
Either of these sets of fingers can be used to play the B-flat major chord in the right hand:
- B-flat – finger one
- D – finger three
- F – finger five
OR:
- B-flat – finger one
- D – finger two
- F – finger four
Either of these sets of fingers can be used to play the B-flat major chord in the left hand:
- B-flat – finger five
- D – finger three
- F – finger one
OR:
- B-flat – finger four
- D – finger two
- F – finger one
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Playing B-flat Major Chord in the Left Hand
Now it is time to try playing the B-flat major chord in the left hand! The below images show two different ways to play the chord in the left hand. The first image shows the pinky (finger five) playing B-flat, the middle finger (finger three) playing D, and the thumb (finger one) playing F.
That is the “traditional” fingering used to play most major chords; however, because the chord uses a mix of white and black keys, a different fingering is often used to make it easier to move between this chord and other notes and chords.
The more practical solution is to place the ring finger (finger four) on B-flat, the pointer (finger two) on D, and the thumb (finger one) on F. This fingering, shown in the second image below, makes better use of fingers one and two’s ability to play notes comfortably that are not right next to one another.
The fingering also allows you to use the gentle turning inward of the left wrist to help get the fingers where they need to be to play the note. This gentle turning of the wrist helps make it easier to transition to, or from, another note or chord.
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Playing the B-flat Major Chord in the Right Hand
Now that you have learned two ways to play the B-flat major chord in the left hand, let’s learn two ways to play it in the right hand! The first way, the “traditional” way, is shown in the first image below.
In this fingering combination, the thumb (finger one) goes on B-flat, the middle finger (finger three) goes on D, and the pinky (finger five) goes on F.
The “practical” fingering is shown in the second image below. In this fingering combination, the thumb (finger one) plays B-flat, the pointer (finger two) plays D, and the ring finger (finger four) plays F.
Much like the “practical” fingering used in the left hand, this fingering combination makes use of the natural space in the hand between the thumb and pointer fingers, as well as the ability to gently turn the wrist inward.
What Is a Flat?
As mentioned above, B-flat is a black key note on the piano. When a note has a flat next to it, it means the pitch is lowered a half step (to the next lowest note on the piano). B is a white key note, and B-flat is the black key directly to the left of it. In sheet music, a flat affects a note for an entire measure.
In the next measure, if the note does not have a flat next to it again, it goes back to being a natural note. A natural note is a note that is neither sharp nor flat. Natural notes are always white key notes. This article from MasterClass has excellent information on sharps and flats.
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How Are Major Chords Built?
Major chords are built using a particular set of intervals. An interval is the distance between two notes. The interval between the bottom note and middle note of a major chord is a major third. You can count a major third by moving up four piano keys from the bottom note. The interval between the middle note and the top note is a minor third.
You can count a minor third by moving up three piano keys from the middle note. This formula of intervals can be used to create a major chord on any note! Put it to the test by counting the keys between each note of the B-flat major chord. Remember to count both the white keys and the black keys!
Conclusion
You now know how to play the B-flat major piano chord! You have learned the notes that are used to build the chord, as well as multiple fingering combinations that can be used to play it in either hand.
You also learned the role flats play in music, as well as the formula of intervals used to build a major chord on any note. You can now use all of this knowledge to practice the B-flat major chord and get even better at playing the piano!
