Welcome to the world of the B♭ major scale, one of the most frequently used keys in music. In this article, you’ll find everything you ever wanted to know about the key of B♭ major, including a helpful tutorial video from Mr. Hoffman that shows you how to play the scale. Knowing the B♭ major scale will broaden your musical horizons, and unlock a new set of notes and chords that can be used to perform, write, or improvise music.
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The notes of the B-flat major scale
The scale of B♭ major starts on B♭ and has two flats in its key signature. The notes are B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, A, and B♭.
The B♭ major key signature
B♭ major has two flats, B♭ and E♭. This is how the key signature looks when it’s written on the treble staff:
Here’s a useful tip for knowing what key you’re in when a key signature has flats. Find the second-to-last flat in the key signature. That will be the tonic, the first note of the scale, and the name of the key signature. If you look at the key signature above, you’ll see the second-to-last flat is B flat. This is the B♭ major key signature.
The relative minor of B-flat major
The relative minor of B♭ major is G minor. Both the B♭ major scale and the G minor scale share the same key signature, which has two flats: B♭ and E♭.
You can find the relative minor scale by starting on the sixth note of the major scale, which, in this case, is G. The resulting scale contains the notes G, A, B♭, C, D, E♭, F, and G. Because both scales are made up of the same notes, composers frequently modulate, or change keys, between the two.
Want to learn more about minor scales? Check out our Ultimate Guide to All Minor Scales.
How do you play the B-flat major scale on piano?
You can watch the video above to see the B♭ major piano scale played by Mr. Hoffman!
To play the B♭ major scale, use the following finger pattern:
Right hand
4 on B♭
Pass the thumb under:
1 on C
2 on D
3 on E♭
Pass the thumb under:
1 on F
2 on G
3 on A
4 on B♭
Left hand
3 on B♭
2 on C
1 on D
Cross the 4th finger over:
4 on E♭
3 on F
2 on G
1 on A
Cross the 3rd finger over:
3 on B♭
When coming down the scale, simply reverse the finger order like this:
Right hand:
4 on B♭
3 on A
2 on G
1 on F
Cross the 3rd finger over:
3 on E♭
2 on D
1 on C
Cross the 4th finger over:
4 on B♭
Left hand:
3 on B♭
Pass the thumb under:
1 on A
2 on G
3 on F
4 on E♭
Pass the thumb under:
1 on D
2 on C
3 on B♭
Chords in the key of B-flat major
Here are the chords built on each note of the B♭ major scale, along with their Roman numeral representations:
- B♭ Major (I): B♭ – D – F
- C minor (ii): C – E♭ – G
- D minor (iii): D – F – A
- E♭ Major (IV): E♭ – G – B♭
- F Major (V): F – A – C
- G minor (vi): G – B♭ – D
- A diminished (vii°): A – C – E♭
These are the diatonic chords in the key of B♭ major, meaning they’re the triads you can make using only the notes of the B♭ major scale. You can explore more complex chords by adding other notes from the scale to these triads, forming seventh chords, ninth chords, etc. It’s these chords that form the harmonic basis for most music in the key of B♭ major.
Music in the key of B-flat major
Classical Music: Many well-known classical pieces have been composed in B♭, such as:
- Ave Maria by Franz Schubert
- Bridal Chorus (“here comes the bride”) from Lohengrin by Richard Wagner
- Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland
Although not strictly a classical piece, the Star Spangled Banner (US national anthem) is commonly played in the key of B♭ major.
Popular Music: B♭ major is also used frequently in rock and pop. Some famous examples include:
- Bohemian Rhapsody (first section) by Queen
- Rocket Man by Elton John
B♭ is also the key of the main theme from “Star Wars”.
Jazz: In the jazz genre, B♭ major is one of the most frequently used keys. Jazz instruments such as the tenor saxophone, trombone, and trumpet are tuned to B♭, making it an easy key to play. Here are a few well-known jazz pieces written in the key of B♭:
- Blue Monk by Thelonious Monk
- I Got Rhythm by George Gershwin
- Stella By Starlight by Victor Young
- It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) by Duke Ellington
Is the key of B♭ major the same as A♯ major?
It is! The B♭ major and A♯ major scales are enharmonic, which means they use the same pitches, just spelled differently. However, A♯ major is very rarely used because its key signature would require an impractical number of sharps, including double sharps. Here are the notes of the A♯ major scale to illustrate:
- A♯
- B♯ (enharmonic with C)
- C𝄪 (enharmonic with D)
- D♯
- E♯ (enharmonic with F)
- F𝄪 (enharmonic with G)
- G𝄪 (enharmonic with A)
- A♯
Due to the high number of sharps (including double sharps), the B♭ major scale, which has a much simpler key signature, is commonly used instead. It’s much easier to read, write, and understand than A♯ major.
Want to learn all of the major scales on piano? Download our free Guide to All Major Scales!