STRINGSCALES

B♭ minor Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11

A string: Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab at frets 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11

D string: Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db at frets 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

G string: Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb at frets 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11

B string: C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11

High E string: F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11

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Bb minor

The minor scale, also called natural minor or aeolian, shares its notes with the major scale three frets up but centers them on a darker home chord. The flat 3rd sets the minor sound, and the flat 6th gives it the heavy, melancholic pull that drives rock, metal and film ballads. Compare it with the harmonic and melodic minor, which each raise degrees to strengthen the resolution to the root.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

B♭

i

B♭m
C

ii°

Cdim
D♭

bIII

D♭maj
E♭

iv

E♭m
F

v

Fm
G♭

bVI

G♭maj
A♭

bVII

A♭maj

Characteristic note: Gb (b6), the flat sixth that separates natural minor from dorian.

Same notes, different mode

Bb minor uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

C locrianDb major · relative majorEb dorianF phrygianGb lydianAb mixolydian

minor in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Anchor your Bb minor phrases on the flat 3rd (Db) and flat 7th (Ab); they are what separate the minor sound from Bb major.
  • Let the flat 6th (Gb) fall to the 5th (F) at phrase endings for the classic minor lament.
  • Solo over a i-bVI-bVII vamp in Bb minor: all three chords live inside the scale, so every scale tone works somewhere.
  • Swap to Bb harmonic minor on the V chord (raise bVII (Ab) to VII) to hear why that raised 7th exists, then fall back to natural minor on the i.

How to play B♭ minor on guitar

A-shape barre at fret 1 gives Bb minor its lowest root, so the key lives one fret off the nut despite five flats. E-shape barre at fret 6 restates it higher, and no open string joins in anywhere. Clamp a capo at fret 1 and A minor shapes take over, which means open-string playing returns in borrowed form. Db major supplies the matching fingerings.

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