What are the notes in the B♭ natural minor scale?

B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭.

How many flats does B♭ minor have?

Five: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, and G♭ — same as its relative major, D♭ major.

The Bb natural minor scale — notes, intervals, and pattern

The B♭ natural minor scale has five flats — B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, and G♭ — and shares its notes with D♭ major. It's a serious, weighted minor key: Chopin's B♭ minor Sonata (with the famous funeral march) lives here, and Tchaikovsky's B♭ minor Piano Concerto No. 1 begins with one of the most famous passages in the repertoire.

Interval pattern

The Bb natural minor scale is built from this fixed pattern of whole steps (W) and half steps (H):

Wwhole
Hhalf
Wwhole
Wwhole
Hhalf
Wwhole
Wwhole

Every natural minor scale uses this same pattern. The half-steps fall between scale degrees 2–3 and 5–6.

Scale degrees and intervals

Each note of the scale, with its scale-degree name and interval from the root:

Degree	Note	Interval from root	Function
1	Bb	Root	Tonic
2	C	M2	Supertonic
3	Db	m3	Mediant
4	Eb	P4	Subdominant
5	F	P5	Dominant
6	Gb	m6	Submediant
7	Ab	m7	Subtonic / Leading tone

In melody and improvisation

B♭ minor is favoured for music that wants to feel dark without being theatrical. It's common in romantic piano literature and in jazz ballads when transposed for vocalists.

Relative key

The Bb natural minor scale shares its notes with Db major. Same seven pitches, different tonal centre — when a piece moves between them, no accidentals change.

Common mistakes

Five flats — and the G♭ is the most-missed. Don't confuse with B♭ major (two flats) — share a tonic, very different signatures.

Drill it

The Interval Trainer gives you a root note and an interval, and asks you to name the result. Practising the intervals of the Bb natural minor scale is the fastest way to internalise it as a melodic shape rather than a memorised string of notes.

Open the Interval Trainer →Or drill key signatures

Frequently asked

What are the notes in the B♭ natural minor scale?: B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭.
How many flats does B♭ minor have?: Five: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, and G♭ — same as its relative major, D♭ major.
What is the relative major of B♭ minor?: D♭ major.