How to play B minor 7th flat 5 chord on guitar
Shape xx9aaa
Shape characteristics
Barre chord
Your first finger flattens across multiple strings at the same fret. Movable up and down the neck to any key without changing the shape.
Upper register · fret 9-10
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.
Four-string voicing
Compact and punchy. Easy to mute cleanly, cuts through a dense mix, and transitions quickly to other shapes.
Bass: B · Top: D
The root is in the bass, so the chord sounds grounded and stable. This is the natural starting voicing for most progressions.
Compared to Shape 700767 , this voicing uses an open chord and sits lower on the neck (starting at fret 6) and adds 2 more ringing strings for a fuller sound.
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 9th fret of the 4th string
- 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 10th fret of the 1st string, 2nd string, and 3rd string in barre position
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "xx9aaa" mean?
The sequence xx9aaa 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 minor 7th flat 5 shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a B minor 7th flat 5 chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for B minor 7th flat 5. 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 minor 7th flat 5 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
Showing 8 of 65 playable shapes