B♭ major scale (A♯ major)
B♭ major scale is B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G – A, with B♭ and E♭. Formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Hit play and watch it light up on both instruments.
B♭ major scale, note by note
The step pattern is W W H W W W H (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between D–E♭ and A–B♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval from B♭ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ | root | |
| 2 | C | major second | |
| 3 | D | major third | |
| 4 | E♭ | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | F | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | G | major sixth | |
| 7 | A | major seventh |
How the major scale sounds
Every other scale on this site is described as the major scale with something changed, so B♭ major is the reference point for anything in B♭.
The move that defines B♭ major is F to B♭: the A in F sits a half step under B♭ and resolves up to it.
Compared with B♭ natural minor scale, B♭ major scale has D, G and A where the other has D♭, G♭ and A♭; the other four notes are shared. Hear B♭ natural minor scale and compare.
Playing B♭ major
Keyboard players: two black (B♭ and E♭), five white.
On guitar the root sits at the 6th fret of the low E string. The box above covers frets 4–10 and holds 17 notes of the scale across all six strings; play it low string to high.
The key of B♭ major
Songs in B♭ major are built from these notes, so the key signature has two flats (B♭, E♭). The relative minor is G minor: same notes, starting on the 6th degree. The parallel minor, B♭ natural minor, starts on the same note with different notes above it.
Chords and progressions in B♭ major
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords of the key. Tap to hear each one.
Same notes, different home: C Dorian (starting on the 2nd note, C), D Phrygian (starting on the 3rd note, D), E♭ Lydian (starting on the 4th note, E♭), F Mixolydian (starting on the 5th note, F), G natural minor (starting on the 6th note, G) and A Locrian (starting on the 7th note, A). Play any of them over a drone on its first note and the mood changes, even though the keys you press don't.
Moving it around the guitar
Find B♭ first: fret 6 of the 6th string, fret 1 and 13 of the 5th. Work up the neck in five positions (low E string frets 1, 3, 6, 8 and 11) and you'll have it everywhere. On guitar, learn the box from the 6th-string root first; the same fingering moves anywhere.
On the piano, B♭ major scale uses 2 black keys (B♭ and E♭) and 5 white.
A good drill once the scale is under your fingers: play it in thirds, skipping one note each time. Here that's B♭–D, C–E♭, D–F, E♭–G, F–A, G–B♭, A–C.
Three ways to practise B♭ major
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Up in threes: B♭ C D · C D E♭ · D E♭ F · E♭ F G · F G A · G A B♭.
- Land on A: B♭ A B♭ A B♭: the 7th, a half step under the root, pulls the ear home.
Scales to compare with B♭ major
Major scale in every key
B♭ major scale: questions
What are the notes of the B♭ major scale?
B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G and A, then B♭ again at the octave. Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.
How many sharps or flats are in the B♭ major scale?
Two: B♭ and E♭. That matches the key signature of B♭ major.
What chords are in the B♭ major scale?
Stacking thirds on each note gives B♭ (I), Cm (ii), Dm (iii), E♭ (IV), F (V), Gm (vi) and Adim (vii°).
What's the difference between B♭ major scale and B♭ natural minor scale?
D, G and A in B♭ major; D♭, G♭ and A♭ in the other. Everything else is the same.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.