B Minor Scale

This lesson is all about the B minor scale. We will take a look at the three types of minor scale, the natural minor, melodic minor and harmonic minor scales.

B Natural Minor Scale

Let’s start with the B natural minor scale. This scale consists of the pitches,  B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G and A. It has two sharps.

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Note Intervals of Bm Scale:

1. Tonic: B is the 1st note of the B natural minor scale.
2. Major 2nd: C# is the 2nd note of the scale.
3. Minor 3rd: D is the 3rd note of the scale.
4. Perfect 4th: E is the 4th note of the scale.
5. Perfect 5th: F# is the 5th note of the scale.
6. Minor 6th: G is the 6th note of the scale.
7. Minor 7th: A is the 7th note of the scale.
8. Perfect 8th: B (one octave higher) is the 8th note of the B natural minor scale.

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Here’s a diagram of the B minor scale (Bm scale) on the treble clef. 

Here’s the B minor scale on the bass clef.

Here’s the B minor scale on piano.

Scale Degrees:

1. Tonic: B
2. Supertonic: C#
3. Mediant: D
4. Subdominant: E
5. Dominant: F#
6. Submediant: G
7. Subtonic: A
8. Octave: B

The relative major of B minor is D major. Minor keys and their relative major make use of the same notes. The notes of the B minor scale as we’ve seen are B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, and A. For the D major scale, it’s D, E, F♯, G, A, B and C♯. The difference is the root note of the two scales. The sixth note of a major scale becomes the root note of its relative minor.

You can memorize this formula to form any natural minor scale: whole step – half step – whole step – whole step – half step – whole step – whole step or w – h – w – w – h – w – w. (A whole step skips a key while a half step moves to the next key.)  Let’s try this with the B minor scale. Let’s start on B and move a whole step to C#. From C# move a half step to D. Next, we move a whole step from D to E. From E, let’s move a whole step to F#. Next, we go up a half step from F# to G. From G, we move up one whole step to A. Finally, we move a whole step from A to B.

What are the fingerings for the B minor scale? They are as follows:

• Notes: B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B
• Fingerings (Left Hand): 4, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1
• Fingerings (Right Hand): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Thumb: 1, index finger: 2, middle finger: 3, ring finger: 4 and pinky finger: 5.

Let’s now take a look at the chords in the key of B minor.

1. Chord i: B minor. Its notes are B – D – F#.
2. Chord ii: C# diminished. Its notes are C# – E – G.
3. Chord III: D major. Its notes are D – F# – A.
4. Chord iv: E minor. Its notes are E – G – B.
5. Chord v: F# minor. Its notes are F# – A – C#.
6. Chord VI: G major. Its notes are G – B – D.
7. Chord VII: A major. Its notes are A – C# – E.

Chords in the key of B minor. All about the key of Bm and its chords.

B Harmonic Minor Scale

Let’s now take a look at the B harmonic minor scale.

The harmonic minor scale raises the seventh note of the natural minor scale by a half-step, when ascending and descending the scale. For example, the notes of the B natural minor scale are  B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – A – B. For the B harmonic minor scale, the notes are B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – A# – B. The seventh note of the scale has been changed from A to A#. It’s now a half step (or semitone) higher.

The formula for forming a harmonic minor scale is W-H-W-W-H-W 1/2-H.

Harmonic Minor Scale Intervals:

1. Tonic: The 1st note of the B harmonic minor scale is B.
2. Major 2nd: The 2nd note of the scale is C#.
3. Minor 3rd: The 3rd note of the scale is D.
4. Perfect 4th: The 4th note of the scale is E.
5. 5. Perfect 5th: The 5th note of the scale is F#.
6. 6. Minor 6th: The 6th note of the scale is G.
7. 7. Major 7th: The 7th note of the scale is A#.
8. 8. Perfect 8th: The 8th note of the scale is B.

B harmonic minor scale  on piano.

Here’s the B harmonic minor scale on the treble clef.

Here’s the B harmonic minor scale on the bass clef.

B Melodic Minor Scale

Let’s now take a look at the melodic minor scale. For this scale, you raise the sixth and seventh notes by a half step as you go up the scale and then return to the natural minor as you go down the scale. The notes of the B melodic minor scale ascending are: B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G# – A# – B. The notes of the B melodic minor scale descending are: B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – A – B.

The formula for a melodic minor scale is W-H-W-W-W-W-H. The descending formula is the natural minor scale formula backwards.

Melodic B Minor Scale Intervals

1. Tonic: The 1st note of the B melodic minor scale is B.
2. Major 2nd: The 2nd note of the scale is C#.
3. Minor 3rd: The 3rd is D.
4. Perfect 4th: The 4th note is E.
5. Perfect 5th: The 5th note is F#.
6. Major 6th: The 6th is G#.
7. Major 7th: The 7th is A#.
8. Perfect 8th: The 8th note of the scale is B.

 B Minor Scale (Melodic) on Piano:

Here’s the scale on the treble clef.

Here’s the scale on the bass clef.

Remember that for the melodic minor scale, when descending, you play the natural minor scale.

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