B♭ Harmonic Minor Scale (Bb, A#)
The Bb harmonic minor scale contains Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – A. It is Bb natural minor with the 7th raised from Ab to A. It keeps the key signature of Bb minor (5 flats: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and Gb), and the A is written as an accidental. It uses the same piano keys as A# harmonic minor, spelled A# – B# – C# – D# – E# – F# – G##.
| Note | Bb | C | Db | Eb | F | Gb | A | Bb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Left hand | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Piano fingering for one octave going up; 1 is the thumb. Coming down, play the same fingers in reverse.
Bb harmonic minor scale fingering
Right hand, going up: the thumb tucks under to C and F. Left hand, going up: finger 3 crosses over the thumb to Db and finger 4 crosses over the thumb to Gb. Practise each hand alone, slowly, until the turns are smooth, then play hands together.
Bb harmonic minor vs Bb natural minor
| Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural | Bb | C | Db | Eb | F | Gb | Ab |
| Harmonic | Bb | C | Db | Eb | F | Gb | A |
Only the 7th changes. A sits a half step below Bb, so it pulls up to the tonic, which Ab does not. It also leaves a gap of three semitones between Gb and A, an augmented 2nd, and that gap is the sound people recognise in this scale.
What Bb harmonic minor is used for
Harmonic minor is what makes a minor key cadence. The raised 7th turns the chord on the 5th degree from minor into major, F (F A C), and that chord resolves firmly to Bbm. It also gives the diminished Adim (A C Eb) on the 7th degree. Most minor-key classical harmony borrows these chords, even when the melody stays in natural minor.
Chords that change from natural minor
Notes and intervals
| Note | Degree | Interval from Bb | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bb | 1 | root | 0 |
| C | 2 | major 2nd | 2 |
| Db | b3 | minor 3rd | 3 |
| Eb | 4 | perfect 4th | 5 |
| F | 5 | perfect 5th | 7 |
| Gb | b6 | minor 6th | 8 |
| A | 7 | major 7th | 11 |
Step pattern
The harmonic minor scale is built from the pattern W – H – W – W – H – W+H – H (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
Bb minor has 5 flats: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and Gb, and harmonic minor uses the same key signature with one accidental, on the raised 7th: A. See the key of Bb minor for the rest of its chords.
Chords in Bb harmonic minor
Stacking thirds on each degree of the scale gives these triads.
| Degree | Numeral | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | i | Bbm | Bb Db F |
| 2 | ii° | Cdim | C Eb Gb |
| 3 | III+ | Dbaug | Db F A |
| 4 | iv | Ebm | Eb Gb Bb |
| 5 | V | F | F A C |
| 6 | VI | Gb | Gb Bb Db |
| 7 | vii° | Adim | A C Eb |
More scales on Bb
Harmonic Minor scale in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the Bb harmonic minor scale?
The Bb harmonic minor scale contains Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, A, then returns to Bb an octave higher.
What is the difference between Bb harmonic minor and Bb natural minor?
Only the 7th note. Bb natural minor has Ab; Bb harmonic minor raises it to A, a half step below the tonic.
What key signature does Bb harmonic minor use?
The key signature of Bb minor: 5 flats: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and Gb. The raised 7th, A, is written as an accidental.
What is the fingering for the Bb harmonic minor scale on piano?
Going up from Bb to Bb, the right hand plays 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 and the left hand plays 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2, where 1 is the thumb. Coming down, use the same fingers in reverse.
What is the step pattern of the harmonic minor scale?
It follows the pattern W – H – W – W – H – W+H – H, where W is a whole step (two semitones), H is a half step (one semitone) and W+H is three semitones.