STRINGSCALES

B♭ mystery #1 Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, D, Fb at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12

A string: Bb, Cb, D, Fb, Gb, Ab at frets 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11

D string: D, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, D at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12

G string: Ab, Bb, Cb, D, Fb, Gb at frets 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11

B string: Cb, D, Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb at frets 0, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12

High E string: Fb, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, D, Fb at frets 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12

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Bb mystery #1

The mystery #1 scale is a six note synthetic set: root, flat 2nd, major 3rd, flat 5th, flat 6th, flat 7th. From the 3rd upward it walks in whole steps, so it behaves like a whole tone scale that has been given a dark flat 2nd doorstep. The name comes from scale catalogues rather than tradition; treat it as raw material for atmospheric, unresolved lines.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

B♭

I

C♭

bII

D

III

F♭

bV

G♭

bVI

A♭

bVII

mystery #1 in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • A whole tone scale with a dark doorstep: enter on b2 (B), then glide in whole steps from III to bVII (Ab).
  • Use it over a Bb7b9#5 vamp; the b2 (B) is the b9, the b6 (Gb) the #5 (F#), and the whole tone upper half supplies the rest.
  • The name comes from scale catalogues, not tradition: treat it as raw material for atmosphere and sound design.
  • Alternate it with the plain whole tone scale to reveal the single half step; that contrast is its identity.

How to play B♭ mystery #1 on guitar

A-shape barre: fret 1, the lowest root here. Add a capo at fret 1 instead and everything reads as A fingering, which means the flat-heavy spelling stays theoretical. Open D rings the major third, while low E, high E, and B fall in the scale too, as Fb and Cb. One augmented second widens the step pattern, so at least one fingering stretch exceeds a whole step.

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