How to play B♭min7(add11)/E♭ chord on guitar
Shape bb8ax9
Shape characteristics
Partial barre
One finger presses two strings at the same fret. A lighter, less tiring grip than a full barre while still being fully movable.
Upper register · fret 8-11
Brighter, more focused tone with less low-end. Works well when layering over a bassist or second guitar, and integrates naturally with lead-line phrasing higher on the neck.
Five-string voicing
One string muted. Keeps a full low end without overlapping awkwardly with a bassist or second guitar.
Bass: E♭ · Top: D♭
An extended chord tone is in the bass, giving the voicing a distinctive colour beyond the standard inversions.
Compared to Shape b88899 , this voicing uses a barre chord and adds 1 more ringing string for a fuller sound.
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 8th fret of the 4th string
- 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 9th fret of the 1st string
- 3 Place the 3rd finger on the 10th fret of the 3rd string
- 4 Place the 4th finger on the 11th fret of the 5th string and 6th string in barre position
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "bb8ax9" mean?
The sequence bb8ax9 is a highly compact guitar chord notation. It represents the fret played on each of the 6 strings, reading left-to-right from the thickest (lowest pitch) string to the thinnest (highest pitch) string: E, A, D, G, B, e.
- x means the string is muted or skipped entirely.
- 0 means the string is played "open" (without pressing over a fret).
- 1-9 represent standard fret numbers 1 to 9.
- a, b, c... represent frets 10, 11, 12, and higher (where a=10, b=11, c=12).
Can I play this B♭min7(add11)/E♭ shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a B♭min7(add11)/E♭ chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for B♭min7(add11)/E♭. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
Why do some strings have an 'x'?
Strings marked with an 'x' should not ring out. These notes are excluded because they don't belong to the B♭min7(add11)/E♭ chord or would clash with this specific voicing. You can mute these strings by lightly touching them with a finger that is already pressing a neighboring fret.
Other shapes
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