Julie Swihart

Second Chords

Let’s look at how to play a B flat 2 chord on the piano. We’ll also learn the pattern for playing any other second chord.

What Are Second Chords?

Second chords are major chords with an added note. The added note is the second note of the matching major scale.

So to play a second chord, we’ll start with a major chord. Major chords are built using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching major scale (learn how to build a major scale here).

Then to convert the major chord into a second chord, we’ll add the second note of the matching major scale.

How to Play a B Flat 2 Chord

So to play a B flat 2 chord, we’ll start by building a B flat major chord. We can build a B flat major chord using the first, third and fifth notes of the B flat major scale: B♭ – D – F

Then we’ll add the second note of the B flat major scale to the chord: C

So to play a B flat 2 chord, we’ll play:

B♭ – C – D – F

We can use this pattern to build any other second chord! We’ll first build a major chord, then add the second note of the matching major scale.

Second chords use the same notes as “add9” chords. An add9 chord is a major chord with an added major ninth. A major ninth is the same note as the second note of the scale, just one octave up. So the B♭add9 and B♭2 chords have the same notes, just in a different order.
B♭add9: B♭ – D – F – C
B♭2: B♭ – C – D – F

Chord Types Printable

Learn to play 17 types of piano chords using 12 different root notes with this 34-page PDF! Chords are sorted both by their root note (C, D, E, etc.) and type (major, minor, augmented, diminished, etc.).

Get the Printable

Conclusion

Now you know how to build a B flat 2 chord on the piano, and you can use this pattern to build any other second chord!

Second chords can be nice to use in place of major chords, since the added note can help fill out the chord.

Piano chords are a great way to learn and enjoy music!