B♭ Blues Scale (Bb, A#)
The Bb blues scale contains Bb – Db – Eb – Fb – F – Ab. It is Bb minor pentatonic plus one added note, the blue note Fb, between the 4th and 5th. Fb is the same piano key as E. It is also called the minor blues scale. It uses the same piano keys as A# blues, spelled A# – C# – D# – E – E# – G#.
Bb blues scale chart
Pentatonic and blues scales have no standard book fingering, so none is shown here. Pick fingers that keep your thumb off the black keys.
Bb blues vs Bb minor pentatonic
| Degree | 1 | b3 | 4 | b5 | 5 | b7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentatonic | Bb | Db | Eb | – | F | Ab |
| Blues | Bb | Db | Eb | Fb | F | Ab |
The blue note is the only addition. It is a passing note, a half step from both Eb and F: slide through it on the way between them rather than resting on it.
What Bb blues is used for
It is the sound of blues soloing, and of a lot of rock and jazz too. A 12-bar blues in Bb uses three dominant 7th chords, Bb7, Eb7 and F7, and this one scale works over all of them. Its minor 3rd, Db, clashes on purpose with the D in Bb7, and that rub is the blues sound.
Notes and intervals
| Note | Degree | Interval from Bb | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bb | 1 | root | 0 |
| Db | b3 | minor 3rd | 3 |
| Eb | 4 | perfect 4th | 5 |
| Fb | b5 | diminished 5th | 6 |
| F | 5 | perfect 5th | 7 |
| Ab | b7 | minor 7th | 10 |
Step pattern
The blues scale is built from the pattern W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = three semitones). Apply that pattern from any starting note and you get the same scale in a different key.
Key signature and accidentals
Blues is normally written with accidentals over the key signature of the piece. Bb minor has 5 flats: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and Gb, and the blue note Fb falls outside it, so it always takes an accidental. See the key of Bb minor for the chords of the minor key.
Chords using only these notes
The dominant 7th chords of a blues are not in this list because they contain notes outside the scale. These can be played with Bb blues alone.
| Chord | Notes |
|---|---|
| Bbm | Bb Db F |
| Bbdim | Bb Db Fb |
| Bbm7 | Bb Db F Ab |
| Bbsus4 | Bb Eb F |
| Db | Db F Ab |
| Dbm | Db Fb Ab |
| Dbsus2 | Db Eb Ab |
| Dbmaj6 | Db F Ab Bb |
| Dbm6 | Db Fb Ab Bb |
| Ebsus2 | Eb F Bb |
| Ebsus4 | Eb Ab Bb |
| Absus2 | Ab Bb Eb |
| Absus4 | Ab Db Eb |
More scales on Bb
Blues scale in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the Bb blues scale?
The Bb blues scale contains Bb, Db, Eb, Fb, F, Ab, then returns to Bb an octave higher.
What is the blue note in Bb blues?
Fb, between the 4th (Eb) and the 5th (F). Fb is the same piano key as E.
What chords does the Bb blues scale work over?
A 12-bar blues in Bb: Bb7, Eb7, F7. It also fits Bb minor chords.
What is the step pattern of the blues scale?
It follows the pattern W+H – W – H – H – W+H – W, where W is a whole step (two semitones), H is a half step (one semitone) and W+H is three semitones.