Click on the scale name for a diagram and explanation of each scale type:
B-Flat Major Scale | B-Flat Natural Minor Scale | B-Flat Harmonic Minor Scale | B-Flat Melodic Minor Scale | B-Flat Major Pentatonic Scale | B-Flat Minor Pentatonic Scale | B-Flat Major Blues Scale | B-Flat Minor Blues Scale
B-FLAT MAJOR SCALE
The B-flat major scale contains seven notes and starts and ends on B♭. Major scales are arranged in a specific pattern of whole and half steps: W-W-H-W-W-W-H.
B-FLAT NATURAL MINOR SCALE
The B-flat natural minor scale follows the key signature of its relative major: D-flat major. In natural minor scales, there are no additional accidentals.
The relative major key of B-flat minor is D-flat major. Therefore, B-flat minor has five flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭).
TIP: To find the relative major key, count up three half-steps from the minor key’s root note.
B-FLAT HARMONIC MINOR SCALE
Harmonic minor scales follow the key signature of the relative major key and raise the seventh note of the scale by one half-step.
The relative major key of B-flat minor is D-flat major and the seventh note of B-flat minor is A♭. Therefore, B-flat harmonic minor has five flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭) but A♭ is raised to A.
B-FLAT MELODIC MINOR SCALE
In melodic minor scales, we raise the sixth and seventh notes up one half-step when ascending and lower them back down when descending. Melodic minor scales follow the key signature of the scale’s relative major.
The relative major key of B-flat minor is D-flat major. Therefore, B-flat minor has five flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭) and G♭ and A♭ are the sixth and seventh notes. We raise G♭ and A♭ to G and A when ascending the melodic minor scale, and we lower them back to G♭ and A♭ when descending.
B-FLAT MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE
The B-flat major pentatonic is a five-note scale built on the following major scale degrees: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6.
B-FLAT MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE
The B-flat minor pentatonic scale is a five-note scale built on the following minor scale degrees: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7.
You can also think of the B-flat minor pentatonic as being built on the following major scale degrees: 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7.
B-FLAT MAJOR BLUES SCALE
The B-flat major blues scale is built on the following major scale degrees: 1, 2, ♭3, 3, 5, 6.
B-FLAT MINOR BLUES SCALE
The B-flat minor blues scale is built on the following minor scale degrees: 1, 3, 4, ♭5, 5, 7.
You can also think of the B-flat minor blues scale as being built on the following major scale degrees: 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7.
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