Bb Minor Pentatonic Scale on Piano

The Bb Minor Pentatonic scale sounds raw and vocal. It runs Bb – Db – Eb – F – Ab and is written with four flats.

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

Interval Circle

W+HWWW+HWCDbb3DEb4EF5GbGAbb7ABb1B

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

The same five-note shape rotated to start on its relative minor. It is the backbone of blues, rock and soul improvisation — five notes that stay usable over an entire minor or dominant progression.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

1-2-3-1-2-3

Left Hand (ascending)

4-3-2-1-2-1

Why this fingering

4 black keys (Bb, Db, Eb, Ab) sit in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid them. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto 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 Minor Pentatonic

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
BbBb4Root (1)14
DbDb5Minor 3rd (b3)23
EbEb5Perfect 4th (4)32
FF5Perfect 5th (5)11
AbAb5Minor 7th (b7)22
BbBb5Octave (8)31

Other Minor Pentatonic Scales

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