Bb Natural Minor Scale on Piano

The Bb Natural Minor scale sounds dark and settled. It runs Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab and is written with five flats.

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

Interval Circle

WHWWHWWC2Dbb3DEb4EF5Gbb6GAbb7ABb1B

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

Also called the Aeolian mode. Lowering the 3rd, 6th and 7th of the major scale drops the leading tone, so it resolves gently rather than urgently — the sound of folk melodies and minor-key pop.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

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

Left Hand (ascending)

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

Why this fingering

5 black keys (Bb, Db, Eb, Gb, Ab) 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 Natural Minor

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
BbBb4Root (1)42
CC5Major 2nd (2)11
DbDb5Minor 3rd (b3)23
EbEb5Perfect 4th (4)32
FF5Perfect 5th (5)11
GbGb5Minor 6th (b6)24
AbAb5Minor 7th (b7)33
BbBb5Octave (8)42

Other Natural Minor Scales

C Natural Minor
C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb
C# Natural Minor
C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A – B
D Natural Minor
D – E – F – G – A – Bb – C
Eb Natural Minor
Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – Db
E Natural Minor
E – F# – G – A – B – C – D
F Natural Minor
F – G – Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb
F# Natural Minor
F# – G# – A – B – C# – D – E
G Natural Minor
G – A – Bb – C – D – Eb – F
G# Natural Minor
G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E – F#
A Natural Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F – G
B Natural Minor
B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A

Other Bb Scales

Bb Major
Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A
Bb Harmonic Minor
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – A
Bb Melodic Minor
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – 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