Learn › B Flat Minor Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
New Released in April 2026
B Flat Minor Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
Learn the Bbm triad inversions on guitar and you can play B flat minor in any area of the neck with three fingers: Bb, Db and F, rearranged.
No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
Bbm on each string set
Start with the top three strings: the shapes are small and the top note is clear. Then move the same idea to the lower sets.
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
Root position
1st inversion
2nd inversion
What an inversion changes
Root position puts Bb at the bottom, 1st inversion puts Db at the bottom, 2nd inversion puts F at the bottom. It is still Bbm; what changes is the lowest and the highest note you hear.
Darker than major: the middle note of the major shape moves down one fret.
Fret chart for Bbm triads
| String set | Root position | 1st inversion | 2nd inversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-B-e strings | x x x 3 2 1 | x x x 6 6 6 | x x x 10 11 9 |
| D-G-B strings | x x 8 6 6 x | x x 11 10 11 x | x x 3 3 2 x |
| A-D-G strings | x 13 11 10 x x | x 4 3 3 x x | x 8 8 6 x x |
| E-A-D strings | 6 4 3 x x x | 9 8 8 x x x | 13 13 11 x x x |
Frets from the low E string to the high E string; x = string not played.
Make Bbm triads automatic
- Start with the G-B-e strings only: three shapes, one minute each.
- Connect the shapes up and down the G-B-e strings, four strums per shape.
- Pick one fret area, around fret 8, and find Bbm on every string set without moving your hand far.
- Then test yourself: random chord names, find the closest Bbm shape each time.
Learn one string set per week and in a month the whole neck is yours.
How to move between the shapes
On the G-B-e strings, the shapes go up the neck in this order: root position (fret 3) → 1st inversion (fret 6) → 2nd inversion (fret 11). The top notes along the way are F, Bb, Db.
Around fret 8, without moving the hand: G-B-e strings 6-6-6; D-G-B strings 8-6-6; A-D-G strings 8-8-6; E-A-D strings 9-8-8.
Train chord changes on your guitar
The game shows chord symbols, not diagrams, so you choose the shape: any inversion of Bbm counts, as long as the microphone hears the right notes.
Play the demoCommon questions
How do you play Bbm triads on the top strings?
On the G, B and high E strings: Root position 3-2-1; 1st inversion 6-6-6; 2nd inversion 10-11-9. Play only those three strings.
Which Bbm triad shape is the easiest?
Usually the lowest one on the top strings, 3-2-1, because it sits near the nut.
What does a Bbm triad sound like?
Darker than major: the middle note of the major shape moves down one fret.
Can I practise Bbm 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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