Scale reference
B♭ minor scale
B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭
The B♭ minor scale runs B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭ and then back to B♭. It follows the natural minor step pattern — tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone — which is what makes it minor rather than any other kind of scale.
It uses each letter name once, which is why it is written with 5 flats.
The notes
The step pattern
Every minor scale uses the same sequence of steps. Change the starting note and the pattern is what you keep.
- B♭1tone
- C2semi
- D♭3tone
- E♭4tone
- F5semi
- G♭6tone
- A♭7tone
- B♭8
Scale degrees
| Degree | Note | Name | Interval from B♭ | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ | Tonic | Perfect unison | 0 |
| 2 | C | Supertonic | Major second | 2 |
| 3 | D♭ | Mediant | Minor third | 3 |
| 4 | E♭ | Subdominant | Perfect fourth | 5 |
| 5 | F | Dominant | Perfect fifth | 7 |
| 6 | G♭ | Submediant | Minor sixth | 8 |
| 7 | A♭ | Subtonic | Minor seventh | 10 |
The other two minor forms
Minor comes in three forms. They share the first five notes and differ near the top.
| Form | Notes | Why it exists |
|---|---|---|
| Natural minor | B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ | The plain form, matching the key signature. |
| Harmonic minor | B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G♭ – A | Raises the seventh degree, restoring the leading tone. |
| Melodic minor (ascending) | B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A | Raises the sixth as well, smoothing the step-and-a-half gap. |
A piece in B♭ minor will move between all three depending on what the harmony needs at that moment. See minor scales for how they are chosen.
Key signature
B♭ minor is the scale of the key of B♭ minor, which has 5 flats. The key page lists the seven chords built on these notes.