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Scale · 7 notes

B♭ Harmonic Minor Scale

B♭ Harmonic Minor is a 7-note scale with the notes B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A. It sounds minor with a raised 7th, giving a strong pull to the tonic and a dramatic, classical or Middle Eastern flavour.

CFAD♭E♭G♭B♭

Purple = B♭ (the tonic) · green = other scale notes

On the fretboard

Every B♭ harmonic minor note on the neck. Pick a pattern to see the compact fingering shape that fits under one hand.

EADGBe135791215FG♭AB♭CD♭E♭FG♭AB♭CD♭E♭FG♭AB♭CE♭FG♭AB♭CD♭E♭FAB♭CD♭E♭FG♭AB♭CD♭E♭FG♭AB♭CD♭FG♭AB♭CD♭E♭FG♭

Blue = B♭ (the root) · green = other scale notes

Notes in the B♭ Harmonic Minor scale

DegreeNoteName
1B♭Tonic
2CSupertonic
♭3D♭Mediant
4E♭Subdominant
5FDominant
♭6G♭Submediant
7ALeading tone

Each note uses a different letter name, so the spelling follows the scale rather than the keyboard: B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A.

B♭ Harmonic Minor scale formula

The pattern of steps from one note to the next is W – H – W – W – H – W+H – H (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = a step of three semitones). Compared with the major scale the degrees are 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7.

Chords in the B♭ Harmonic Minor scale

Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives these chords:

DegreeTriad7th chord
iB♭mB♭m(maj7)
ii°C°Cø7
III+D♭+D♭7♯5
ivE♭mE♭m7
VFF7
VIG♭G♭maj7
vii°A°A°7

Chord names link to guitar chord shapes where we have them.

Related scales

How to practise the B♭ Harmonic Minor scale

Learn it as natural minor with the 7th raised a half step. The leap from the ♭6 up to the 7 is a step and a half, which gives the scale its dramatic sound, so practise that gap slowly.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the B♭ Harmonic Minor scale?

The notes of the B♭ Harmonic Minor scale are B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A.

What is the formula for the B♭ Harmonic Minor scale?

The pattern of whole and half steps is W – H – W – W – H – W+H – H (W = whole step, H = half step). In scale degrees: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7.

What chords are in the B♭ Harmonic Minor scale?

Built from the scale in triads: B♭m, C°, D♭+, E♭m, F, G♭, A°.

More B♭ scales

B♭ Major, B♭ Natural Minor, B♭ Melodic Minor, B♭ Dorian, B♭ Phrygian, B♭ Lydian, B♭ Mixolydian, B♭ Locrian, B♭ Major Pentatonic, B♭ Minor Pentatonic, B♭ Blues, B♭ Lydian Dominant, B♭ Whole Tone, B♭ Dorian ♭2, B♭ Lydian Augmented, B♭ Mixolydian ♭6, B♭ Locrian ♯2, B♭ Phrygian Dominant, B♭ Hungarian Minor, B♭ Double Harmonic, B♭ Diminished (W–H), B♭ Diminished (H–W), B♭ Bebop Dominant, B♭ Bebop Major

Explore the full scales library, find a scale from notes with the scale finder, or see every chord in every key in the chord chart.