B♭ melodic minor scale on guitar
The B♭ melodic minor scale has seven notes: B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G and A (1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7). A minor scale with a major 6th and 7th, or a major scale with a flat 3rd. The jazz minor: smooth over m6 and m(maj7) chords.
| 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 | whole | whole | half |
5 positions to learn it in
On guitar a seven-note scale is learnt in five shapes, each built round one of the open chord shapes C, A, G, E and D. Together they cover the neck. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the B♭ melodic 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 | – |
| 2 (C) | Cmcolour | Cm7colour |
| ♭3 (D♭) | D♭augdaylight | – |
| 4 (E♭) | E♭the door | E♭7the door |
| 5 (F) | Fthe pull | F7the pull |
| 6 (G) | Gdimthe edge | Gm7♭5the edge |
| 7 (A) | Adimthe edge | Am7♭5the edge |
Scales with the same notes
Compare the B♭ minor scale, its natural minor.
Questions
What notes are in the B♭ melodic 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 W W H (W a whole step, H a half step).
What chords go with the B♭ melodic minor scale?
The chords made only of its notes: B♭m, Cm, D♭aug, E♭, F, Gdim and Adim, and as seventh chords Cm7, E♭7, F7, Gm7♭5 and Am7♭5. B♭ is home: B♭m is the chord it sounds most settled over.
The melodic minor scale in every key
Other scales in B♭
B♭ majorB♭ minorB♭ minor pentatonicB♭ major pentatonicB♭ bluesB♭ DorianB♭ MixolydianB♭ LydianB♭ PhrygianB♭ harmonic minorB♭ Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: guitar scales. This scale on bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.