B flat major pentatonic scale

The B flat major pentatonic scale has 5 notes: B♭, C, D, F and G. Its formula is 1 2 3 5 6 and it is built with the steps W W W+H W W+H.

Notes, formula and steps

The intervals from B♭ are root (B♭), major 2nd (C), major 3rd (D), perfect 5th (F) and major 6th (G). Write down the step pattern W W W+H W W+H (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = a step and a half): it is the fingerprint of the major pentatonic scale, whatever the starting note. This scale has 1 flat: B♭.

How to play the B flat major pentatonic scale on piano

Start on B♭ and play B♭, C, D, F and G going up, then come back down. Say the note names out loud while you play: it links the sound, the keys and the names. Practise hands separately first, slowly with the metronome, then speed up.

How to play the B flat major pentatonic scale on guitar

On guitar, the root B♭ sits at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string. Start from one of these roots and play the notes of the fretboard map above in order, one string after another. The whole-neck view shows every place the B flat major pentatonic scale appears, so you can connect the positions instead of staying in one box.

Chords in the B flat major pentatonic scale

With only 5 notes, this scale does not produce a chord on every degree. It fits naturally over B♭, B♭sus2, B♭add9, B♭6 and Gm, which is why it is so popular for improvising.

Relative and parallel scales

The B flat major pentatonic scale shares its notes with the G minor pentatonic scale: same notes, different starting point and a different mood. Its parallel scale, on the same root, is the B flat natural minor scale. Switching between them is a classic way to change colour without changing key.

About the major pentatonic scale

Five notes, no semitones: bright, open, singable and almost impossible to make sound wrong. Without the 4th and the 7th, the two notes that create tension in the major scale, it floats over the chords of a major key without clashing. It is the sound of country licks, folk melodies, soul riffs and big pop choruses.

Play it over major chords and major-key progressions: I IV V, I V vi IV, or a whole country or rock song in a major key. Over a single major chord it sounds sweet and melodic. In a major-key blues, mixing it with the minor pentatonic on the same root gives the classic vocabulary of B.B. King and southern rock.

On guitar it uses the same five box shapes as the minor pentatonic of its relative minor, starting from a different root (for example C major pentatonic uses the A minor pentatonic shapes). Find the major root in each box and end phrases there. On piano, the black keys alone form the G♭ major pentatonic: a perfect playground.

Formula 1 2 3 5 6, steps W W W+H W W+H. The major pentatonic is the major scale without its 4th and 7th, and it has the same notes as the minor pentatonic built on its 6th degree (for example C major and A minor pentatonic). It can also be built as a chain of perfect fifths: C G D A E.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes of the B flat major pentatonic scale?

The B flat major pentatonic scale has 5 notes: B♭, C, D, F and G. Formula: 1 2 3 5 6.

How many sharps or flats are in the B flat major pentatonic scale?

It has 1 flat: B♭.

Which chords are in the B flat major pentatonic scale?

It fits over B♭, B♭sus2, B♭add9, B♭6 and Gm. As a 5-note scale it does not build a chord on every degree.

What is the relative of the B flat major pentatonic scale?

It shares its notes with the G minor pentatonic scale. Its parallel scale is the B flat natural minor scale.

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