Learn › B Flat Major Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
New Released in April 2026
B Flat Major Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
The B flat major triad on guitar does not need six strings. Three notes, Bb, D and F, on three strings give you Bb anywhere on the neck, in root position, 1st and 2nd inversion.
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- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
Three orders of the same three notes
The notes never change, only their order. With D or F at the bottom, Bb sounds lighter and lets the melody note on top change.
Bright and stable: the triad most songs are built on.
Where Bb sits on the neck
Play only the three strings shown. Inside each set the three shapes follow each other up the neck: when one ends, the next begins.
G-B-e strings
Root position
1st inversion
2nd inversion
D-G-B strings
2nd inversion
Root position
1st inversion
A-D-G strings
1st inversion
2nd inversion
Root position
E-A-D strings
2nd inversion
Root position
1st inversion
From one shape to the next
Walk up the G-B-e strings through root position (fret 3) → 1st inversion (fret 7) → 2nd inversion (fret 11), then back down. The top notes F, Bb, D change while the chord stays Bb.
One area of the neck, near fret 8, already holds four Bb shapes: G-B-e strings 7-6-6; D-G-B strings 8-7-6; A-D-G strings 8-8-7; E-A-D strings 6-5-3.
Bb inversions: the frets
| String set | Root position | 1st inversion | 2nd inversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-B-e strings | x x x 3 3 1 | x x x 7 6 6 | x x x 10 11 10 |
| D-G-B strings | x x 8 7 6 x | x x 12 10 11 x | x x 3 3 3 x |
| A-D-G strings | x 13 12 10 x x | x 5 3 3 x x | x 8 8 7 x x |
| E-A-D strings | 6 5 3 x x x | 10 8 8 x x x | 1 1 0 x x x |
Frets from the low E string to the high E string; x = string not played.
A short Bb triad routine
- Learn the three shapes on the top strings first, slowly, saying the bottom note each time.
- Climb the neck through the three shapes and come back down without stopping.
- Stay near fret 8 and find Bb on two different string sets.
- Last, switch between Bb and another triad in the same area of the neck.
A few minutes a day on one string set is enough; add the next set next week.
Play Bb in a game
In ChordRunner chord names come one after another and the microphone checks every chord you play, open shape, barre or triad. It runs in the browser.
Play the demoCommon questions
What are the inversions of Bb on guitar?
Root position (Bb at the bottom), 1st inversion (D at the bottom) and 2nd inversion (F at the bottom). On the top three strings: Root position 3-3-1; 1st inversion 7-6-6; 2nd inversion 10-11-10.
Why learn triad inversions on guitar?
They let you play Bb in any area of the neck with three fingers, so chord changes stay close and the top note can follow a melody.
What does a Bb triad sound like?
Bright and stable: the triad most songs are built on.
Can I practise Bb with a game that listens to my guitar?
Yes. ChordRunner hears your guitar through the microphone and checks the chord in any shape or inversion. A USB MIDI keyboard works too.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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