B minor scale

The B minor scale is B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G and A, with two sharps. From B, the steps go whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole.

  1. B1
  2. whole
  3. C♯2
  4. half
  5. D3
  6. whole
  7. E4
  8. whole
  9. F♯5
  10. half
  11. G6
  12. whole
  13. A7
  14. whole
  15. B8
B1D3E1G3A4B5C♯2F♯2

B minor on the staff, piano and guitar

On the staff

♯♯BC♯DEF♯GAB♯♯BC♯DEF♯GAB

On piano

Right hand 1 2 3, then the thumb passes under to E: 1 2 3 4 5.

B4D2E1G3A2B1C♯3F♯4

Left hand 4 3 2 1, then finger 4 crosses over to F♯: 4 3 2 1.

Fingers are numbered from the thumb, 1, to the little finger, 5. Coming down, play the same fingers in reverse.

On guitar

678910EBGDAEBC♯DEF♯GABC♯DEF♯GABC♯D

Every note of B minor between the 6th and 10th fret. The root, B, has a heavy ring.

How to play the B minor scale on piano

  1. Find B, the white key just right of a group of three black keys.
  2. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to C♯, a black key.
  3. Go up a half step, to the very next key, to D.
  4. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to E.
  5. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to F♯, a black key.
  6. Go up a half step, to the very next key, to G.
  7. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to A.
  8. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to B, an octave above where you started.

Practice the B minor scale

Play the B minor scale one note a beat, up and back down: B C♯ D E F♯ G A B A G F♯ E D C♯ B. Hands separately first. Start at 60 beats a minute and move up toward 100 once every note lands on the beat.

B
  1. B
  2. C♯
  3. D
  4. E
  5. F♯
  6. G
  7. A
  8. B
  9. A
  10. G
  11. F♯
  12. E
  13. D
  14. C♯
  15. B

The key of B minor

Follow the minor pattern from B and two notes need a sharp: C♯ and F♯. Those two sharps are the key signature, the same as D major, its relative major.

Relative major
D major
Parallel major
B major
Neighbors on the circle of fifths
E minor and F♯ minor
♯♯CAmGVIEmivDIIIBmiAVIIF♯mvEC♯mBC♭G♯mA♭mF♯G♭D♯mE♭mD♭C♯B♭mA♯mA♭FmE♭CmB♭GmFDmB minor
B minor on the circle of fifths, with the chords of its key marked.

The name of each note in the key

  1. 1Btonic
  2. 2C♯supertonic
  3. 3Dmediant
  4. 4Esubdominant
  5. 5F♯dominant
  6. 6Gsubmediant
  7. 7Asubtonic

Chords in B minor

Build a chord on each note of the scale, using only the scale's notes, and you get the seven chords of the key. The numeral is the chord's place in the key: capitals for major, small letters for minor.

  1. iBm
  2. ii°C♯dim
  3. IIID
  4. ivEm
  5. vF♯m
  6. VIG
  7. VIIA

B harmonic and melodic minor

Harmonic minor

B harmonic minor raises the 7th note a half step, A to A♯, so the scale leads back to B.

♯♯BC♯DEF♯G♯A♯B

Melodic minor

B melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th notes going up, G to G♯ and A to A♯, and comes back down as the natural minor.

♯♯BC♯DEF♯♯G♯♯A♯B♮A♮GF♯EDC♯B

Modes on the same notes

Start the D major scale on another of its notes and you get a mode, with the same key signature: D ionian, E dorian, F♯ phrygian, G lydian, A mixolydian, B aeolian, C♯ locrian.

Practice notes for the B minor scale

B minor has two sharps, F♯ and C♯: B C♯ D E F♯ G A B. It is the relative minor of D major. The right hand uses the standard fingering, 1 2 3, thumb under to E, then 1 2 3 4 5. The left hand starts on finger 4, not 5.

Where it goes wrong. The 7th note in the other forms. Natural minor has A; harmonic minor raises it to A♯; melodic minor going up raises G and A to G♯ and A♯, then comes back down with G and A. None of those sharps are in the key signature, so in printed music each one is written in.

How to practice it. Left hand first: 4 3 2 1 for B C♯ D E, then 4 crosses over to F♯, and 4 3 2 1 again up to B. Two matching groups of four. Then play natural, harmonic and melodic in a row, right hand only, so the hand learns the upper half three ways.

What to listen for. A♯ to B in harmonic and melodic minor, the half step that leads back to the keynote. In harmonic minor, listen also for G to A♯, the wide step of three half steps that gives that form its sound.

What to learn next. D major, the relative major with the same two sharps, and E minor and F♯ minor, one sharp fewer and one sharp more.

Questions

What are the notes of the B minor scale?

B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G and A, then B again an octave up.

What chords are in the key of B minor?

Bm, C♯dim, D, Em, F♯m, G and A: i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI and VII.

Why does B minor have two sharps?

Follow the minor pattern from B and two notes need a sharp: C♯ and F♯. Those two sharps are the key signature, the same as D major, its relative major.

What is the relative major of B minor?

D major. It uses the same notes and the same key signature, starting on D.

What is the B harmonic minor scale?

B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G and A♯. B harmonic minor raises the 7th note a half step, A to A♯, so the scale leads back to B.