Bb Melodic Minor Scale on Piano

The Bb Melodic Minor scale sounds smooth and ambiguous. It runs Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – A and is written with three flats.

It shares its key signature with Db major, its relative major.

Interval Circle

WHWWWWHC2Dbb3DEb4EF5GbG6AbA7Bb1B

All twelve semitones, root at the top. Filled dots are the notes of the scale, the outer numbers are their degrees, and W / H mark the whole and half steps between them.

About This Scale

Raises both the 6th and the 7th, smoothing over the augmented second of harmonic minor. Classical practice lowers them again on the way down; jazz keeps the ascending form in both directions, which is why it is often called the jazz minor.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4

Left Hand (ascending)

2-1-4-3-2-1-3-2

Why this fingering

3 black keys (Bb, Db, Eb) sit in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid them. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto C and F; let the elbow drift slightly outward as it passes rather than twisting the wrist.

The blue dots on the piano below show which keys to press — they turn green when you play the right note.

Notes in Bb Melodic Minor

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
BbBb4Root (1)42
CC5Major 2nd (2)11
DbDb5Minor 3rd (b3)24
EbEb5Perfect 4th (4)33
FF5Perfect 5th (5)12
GG5Major 6th (6)21
AA5Major 7th (7)33
BbBb5Octave (8)42

Other Melodic Minor Scales

C Melodic Minor
C – D – Eb – F – G – A – B
C# Melodic Minor
C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B#
D Melodic Minor
D – E – F – G – A – B – C#
Eb Melodic Minor
Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C – D
E Melodic Minor
E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D#
F Melodic Minor
F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D – E
F# Melodic Minor
F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E#
G Melodic Minor
G – A – Bb – C – D – E – F#
G# Melodic Minor
G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E# – F##
A Melodic Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F# – G#
B Melodic Minor
B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A#

Other Bb Scales

Bb Major
Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A
Bb Natural Minor
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab
Bb Harmonic Minor
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – A
Bb Major Pentatonic
Bb – C – D – F – G
Bb Minor Pentatonic
Bb – Db – Eb – F – Ab
Bb Blues
Bb – Db – Eb – E – F – Ab
Bb Dorian
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab
Bb Mixolydian
Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab
Bb Chromatic
Bb – B – C – Db – D – Eb – E – F – Gb – G – Ab – A