B♭ minor scale on mandolin
The B♭ minor scale has seven notes: B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭ and A♭ (1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7). The plain minor scale: the minor pentatonic with the 2nd and ♭6 filled in. Sad or serious, and the home of minor-key rock and metal, over changes like Am, F and G.
| Note | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G♭ | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | 2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | ♭6 | ♭7 |
| Step to the next | whole | half | whole | whole | half | whole | whole |
3 positions to learn it in
Each stretch here is a few frets you can play without moving the hand: the open position, then from the root on the lowest string. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the B♭ minor scale
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; B♭ (B♭m) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (B♭) | B♭mhome | B♭m7home |
| 2 (C) | Cdimthe edge | Cm7♭5the edge |
| ♭3 (D♭) | D♭daylight | D♭maj7daylight |
| 4 (E♭) | E♭msoft fall | E♭m7soft fall |
| 5 (F) | Fmsoft fall | Fm7soft fall |
| ♭6 (G♭) | G♭cinematic | G♭maj7cinematic |
| ♭7 (A♭) | A♭heroic | A♭7heroic |
Scales with the same notes
Its relative major is the D♭ major scale: the same notes, started from D♭.
The chords of this key, to hear and play: chords in the key of B♭ minor.
Questions
What notes are in the B♭ minor scale?
B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭ and A♭. Its intervals from the root are 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, and the steps between its notes are W H W W H W W (W a whole step, H a half step).
What chords go with the B♭ minor scale?
The chords made only of its notes: B♭m, Cdim, D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭ and A♭, and as seventh chords B♭m7, Cm7♭5, D♭maj7, E♭m7, Fm7, G♭maj7 and A♭7. B♭ is home: B♭m is the chord it sounds most settled over.
What is the relative major of the B♭ minor scale?
The D♭ major scale, which has the same notes started from D♭.
The minor scale in every key
Other scales in B♭
B♭ majorB♭ minor pentatonicB♭ major pentatonicB♭ bluesB♭ DorianB♭ MixolydianB♭ LydianB♭ PhrygianB♭ harmonic minorB♭ melodic minorB♭ Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: mandolin scales. This scale on guitar, bass, ukulele and banjo.