A#m Chord on Ukulele
A#m = A# – C# – F (Root, Minor 3rd, Perfect 5th)
Bbm swaps A#/Bb major's D for a Db, dropping the third down a half-step and turning a bright triad into a somber one. The ukulele shape reflects that small change with a bigger fingering shift: instead of the two separate frets used for Bb major, Bbm needs the index finger barring three strings at once — C, E, and A, all at the first fret — while the ring finger holds down the G string's third fret on its own. It's essentially Bb major with the middle finger's second-fret note absorbed into the barre, a common relationship between a major triad and its minor twin on this instrument.
As a minor chord with no open strings supporting it, Bbm carries a closed, weighted quality distinct from lighter open minor shapes like Am or Dm — every note here is deliberately fretted rather than left to ring free, which suits the moodier, more deliberate color the chord is usually reached for. It functions as the ii chord in the key of Ab major, sitting between the tonic and the dominant in a classic ii-V-I motion, and as the iv chord in the key of F minor, giving that key's subdominant a full triad rather than a passing color. It also occasionally substitutes for Bb major in a progression when a songwriter wants to darken a borrowed bVII chord into a minor color instead, a less common but genuine alternative to the more familiar major bVII move.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Since three of the four strings share the same fret, treat the barre as one continuous motion rather than three separate placements — lay the index finger flat across C, E, and A and check each string rings individually before layering the ring finger's third-fret note on the G string on top. The ring finger sits noticeably higher up the neck than the barre, so keep it arched enough that it doesn't brush against the E string just below it. A useful comparison drill is alternating Bb major and Bbm back to back, since the only change is releasing the middle finger's second-fret C-string note and letting the barre absorb that string instead — hearing that one-note shift is the clearest way to internalize how a major chord becomes its minor relative.
Common Progressions
- ii – V – I, in the key of Ab (Bbm – Eb7 – Ab)
- iv – V – i, in the key of F minor (Bbm – C – Fm)
- I – bVII, reharmonized in minor (C – Bbm, a darker substitute for Bb major)
- ii – bIII – IV, a minor-toned passing sequence toward Db
FAQ
- What's the exact difference between Bb major and Bbm?
- Only the third changes, from D down a half-step to Db, but on ukulele that turns two separate fretted notes into a three-string barre, since the barre now needs to cover the string that used to carry the major third.
- Why does Bbm feel heavier than open minor chords like Am?
- It has no open strings at all, so every note is deliberately fretted rather than left ringing free, giving it a closed, weighted character that lighter open-string minor shapes don't have.
- Where does Bbm fit harmonically outside of Bb major's own key?
- It's the ii chord in the key of Ab major, a common stop in ii-V-I motion, and the iv chord in F minor, giving that key's subdominant a full minor triad.
- What's the easiest way to practice the Bb-to-Bbm change?
- Play them back to back and notice that the only actual movement is releasing the middle finger from the C string's second fret and letting the three-string barre take over that note instead.
- Is Bbm a common chord to see written out on a ukulele chart?
- Less common than Bb major itself, since chromatic minor chords a half-step above C tend to appear only when a song genuinely modulates or borrows deliberately, rather than showing up in beginner-level material.
- How does Bbm's three-string barre compare in difficulty to a full four-string barre?
- It's a meaningful step down, since one string, the G string, is left for the ring finger to handle independently rather than folding it into the barre, which reduces the demand on the flattened finger's consistency across the shape.
A#m on other instruments: A#m on Guitar, A#m on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.