Click on the scale name for a diagram and explanation of each scale type:
B Major Scale | B Natural Minor Scale | B Harmonic Minor Scale | B Melodic Minor Scale | B Major Pentatonic Scale | B Minor Pentatonic Scale | B Major Blues Scale | B Minor Blues Scale
B MAJOR SCALE
The B 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 NATURAL MINOR SCALE
The B natural minor scale follows the key signature of its relative major: D major. In natural minor scales, there are no additional accidentals.
The relative major key of B minor is D major. Therefore, B minor has two sharps: F♯ and C♯.
TIP: To find the relative major key, count up three half-steps from the minor key’s root note.
B 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 minor is D major and the seventh note of B minor is A. Therefore, B harmonic minor has two sharps (F♯ and C♯) and A is raised to A♯.
B 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 minor is D major. Therefore, B minor has two sharps (F♯ and C♯) 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 F and G when descending.
The B major pentatonic scale is a five-note scale built on the following major scale degrees: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6.
The B 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 minor pentatonic as being built on the following major scale degrees: 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7.
The B major blues scale is built on the following major scale degrees: 1, 2, ♭3, 3, 5, 6.
The B minor blues scale is built on the following minor scale degrees: 1, 3, 4, ♭5, 5, 7.
You can also think of the B minor blues scale as being built on the following major scale degrees: 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7.
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