B♭ natural minor
Five flats, B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭. Seven notes: B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭. Try the key’s seven chords in different places on the neck. Press a shape to hear it and see its notes.
A♯ and B♭ are the same pitch. This scale is written as B♭ natural minor because that spelling needs fewer accidentals than A♯ natural minor.
Across one chord in different positions. Down the chords in one position. | ||||
| iMainB♭mB♭ · D♭ · F | ||||
| ii°C°C · E♭ · G♭ | ||||
| IIIMainD♭D♭ · F · A♭ | ||||
| ivE♭mE♭ · G♭ · B♭ | ||||
| vFmF · A♭ · C | ||||
| VIMainG♭G♭ · B♭ · D♭ | ||||
| VIIMainA♭A♭ · C · E♭ |
Sounds good
Three patterns to try
Walk up to E♭m. Strum B♭m, pick C and D♭ on the way up, land on E♭m. Listen to how the bass connects the chords.
Triads on the top three strings. Three notes, three places, all B♭m. Try them when a full six-string chord feels too busy.
- LowFrets 1–3
- MiddleFret 6
- HighFrets 9–11
Same chords, higher. The four main chords in frets 1 to 4, then again in frets 5 to 9. Listen to how the higher voicings change the sound.
Exercises in B♭ minor
Four drills, with a click
Play along with the metronome. The neck above highlights each step.
- Four chords in one positionB♭m – D♭ – G♭ – A♭ without leaving frets 3 to 7.70 bpmLevel 1
- Climb with one chordB♭m in all four places, low to high. Hear it brighten.60 bpmLevel 1
- Walk up to E♭mStrum B♭m, then walk the bass C – D♭ into E♭m.90 bpmLevel 2
- Scale, then chordsPlay the scale in frets 5 to 9, then the four chords there.70 bpmLevel 2
Why five flats
F minor with G lowered
- B♭
- C
- D♭
- E♭
- F
- G♭
- A♭
- B♭
- C
- D♭
- E♭
- F
- G
- A♭
B♭ minor is F minor with G lowered to G♭.
Harmonic minor
Harmonic minor change
Raising the seventh to A changes Fm to F major on the fifth degree.