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Guitar scales · Minor pentatonic

B♭ minor pentatonic scale on guitar (Bb minor pentatonic)

The B♭ minor has five notes: B♭, D♭, E♭, F and A♭. As degrees: 1, ♭3, 4, 5 and ♭7.

Notes and pattern

The B♭ minor pentatonic scale

The first scale most guitarists learn: the backbone of blues and rock soloing. Play it to hear it up and down.

From note to note it climbs 3, 2, 2, 3 and 2 : there are no , which is why it is so hard to hit a wrong note.

B♭ minor has the same notes as D♭ major pentatonic, starting from B♭. See that scale.

  1. B♭1
  2. D♭♭3
  3. E♭4
  4. F5
  5. A♭♭7
EADGBE0135791215B♭B♭B♭B♭B♭B♭B♭B♭FA♭D♭E♭FD♭E♭FA♭E♭FA♭D♭E♭FA♭D♭E♭FA♭D♭E♭FA♭D♭FA♭D♭E♭F
  • B♭, the root
  • Other scale notes

Positions

B♭ minor pentatonic in five positions

The splits the neck into five overlapping positions, one per shape. Learn one, then join it to the next.

Box 1 starts at 6, with the , B♭, under your first finger on the low E string.

B♭ minor · G-shape position · box 1

Frets 6–9. The B♭m chord (Em form) is in ink.

EADGBE0135791215B♭B♭B♭FD♭FD♭E♭A♭E♭A♭D♭
  • Root (B♭)
  • Chord shape
  • Pentatonic tone

Chords

What to play B♭ minor pentatonic over

Play it over songs in B♭ minor or D♭ major, and over a 12-bar blues in B♭ (B♭7, E♭7 and F7).

Same root

Change a note or two and the same takes on a new mood.

Questions

B♭ minor pentatonic, in short

What notes are in the B♭ minor pentatonic scale?
The B♭ minor has five notes: B♭, D♭, E♭, F and A♭. As degrees: 1, ♭3, 4, 5 and ♭7.
What chords go with the B♭ minor pentatonic scale?
Play it over songs in B♭ minor or D♭ major, and over a 12-bar blues in B♭ (B♭7, E♭7 and F7).
What is the relative major of B♭ minor pentatonic?
B♭ minor pentatonic has the same notes as D♭ major pentatonic, starting from B♭.
All guitar scales