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B♭ minor six diminished Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, Gb, G, A, Bb, C, Db, Eb at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11

A string: A, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, G, A at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12

D string: Eb, F, Gb, G, A, Bb, C, Db at frets 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11

G string: G, A, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, G at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12

B string: C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, G, A, Bb at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11

High E string: F, Gb, G, A, Bb, C, Db, Eb at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11

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Bb minor six diminished

The minor six diminished scale is Barry Harris's minor sixth diminished scale: a minor 6th chord and a diminished 7th chord interleaved, eight notes alternating chord and tension. Run it and every other note forms the m6 chord, the engine of his harmonic system. It turns a static minor chord into continuous internal motion.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

B♭

I

C

II

D♭

bIII

E♭

IV

F

V

G♭

bVI

G

VI

A

VII

minor six diminished in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • This is Barry Harris's minor sixth diminished scale: alternate the Bbm6 chord tones with the diminished tones as you climb, chord-tone on the beat.
  • Harmonize every scale step as either the m6 chord or the diminished 7th; that alternation is instant movement over a static minor chord.
  • Use both 6ths deliberately: natural 6th (G) belongs to the m6 sound, flat 6th (Gb) to the diminished layer passing between V and VI.
  • Over a minor ii-V-i in Bb minor, this single scale supplies voice-led chords for the whole bar of tonic minor.

How to play B♭ minor six diminished on guitar

Lowest-numbered root is fret 1 on the A string, so the A-shape barre sits at the very bottom of the neck. Open A gives the major seventh, open G the sixth. Neither is the tonic, so treat them as tension over a fretted root. Both E strings carry a root at 6. Fret 10 marks where the box gives out, which means plenty of room below.

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