Dictionary: Bb Blues Scale

When you add a diminished 5th note to the B-flat minor pentatonic scale (the E note, in this case), you now have the B-flat blues scale.  Try it over B-flat.  Any B-flat.  You may like the results.

Dictionary: Bb Minor Pentatonic Scale

The B-flat minor pentatonic scale is convenient to use for improvising solos and composing melodies over a B-flat minor chord progression, especially if you are unsure whether to use the Aeolian, Dorian, or Phrygian mode at any given moment.

The B-flat minor pentatonic scale sounds especially bluesy over a B-flat major chord progression.  If you want an even bluesier scale, stay tuned ...

Modes in A# / Bb

For larger mode maps:
A# Phrygian
A# Locrian
Bb Lydian
Bb Ionian
Bb Mixolydian
Bb Dorian
Bb Aeolian
Bb Phrygian

See also:
Bb Major Scale
Bb Minor Scale

Modes with 5 Flats

For larger mode maps:
Db Ionian
Eb Dorian
F Phrygian
Gb Lydian
Ab Mixolydian
Bb Aeolian
C Locrian

See also:
Db Major Scale
Bb Minor Scale

Dictionary: Bbm Chord

If you're looking for a simpler B-flat minor guitar chord, check out this entry from September 2007.  Here is a non-standard, non-B?-D?-F? spelling of the Bbm chord, which might work in the context of certain scales:

Dictionary: A#m Chord

If you're looking for a simpler guitar chord for A-sharp minor, you might try the enharmonic Bbm chord diagram from September 2007.

Dictionary: Bb Minor Scale

This scale is the relative minor of Db major.  In the table below, you'll enter Bb harmonic minor territory with the chords to the right:

Bbm	Db	Cdim	Dbaug
Ebm	Gb	Gbm	Ebdim
Fm	Ab	F	Adim

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Lesson #69: Power Chords in Bb Minor (Guitar, Beginner, Intermediate)

In B-flat minor: Bb5, C5, Db5, Eb5, F5, Gb5, and Ab5 - see D-flat major.

In A-sharp minor: A#5, B#5, C#5, D#5, E#5, F#5, and G#5 - see power chords in C-sharp major.

Lesson #67: Seven Chords in Bb Minor (Guitar, Beginner, Intermediate)

In B-flat minor: Bbm, (not pictured: Cdim), Db, Ebm, Fm or F, Gb, and Ab.

In A-sharp minor: A#m, (not pictured: B#dim), C#, D#m, E#m or E#, F#, and G# - see C# major.

Lesson #65: Bb Minor and the Capo / Barre (Guitar, Beginner)

You probably already know how to play this voicing for the B-flat minor chord:


It is essentially using your index finger as a barre across the 1st fret, or using a capo at the 1st fret and playing the basic Am chord:


Try either placing a capo on or using your index finger to barre the 6th fret and play the Em chord:


If you capo or barre at the 9th fret and play the Dm chord, you're actually playing the Bbm chord:

C# Chord Progressions: iii and III Substitutions

Db and C# are essentially the same key, as they contain the same notes, but with different names. Those keys are called enharmonic:

I. C# major
ii. D#m
iii. E#m (we'll refer to this as Fm for simplicity's sake)
IV. F# major
V. G# major
vi. A#m
vii(b5). B#dim (we'll refer to this as Cdim for simplicity's sake)

The C# major diatonic scale is as follows: C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C# (again, E# is better known as F, and B# is better known as C)

Therefore, the relative minor of C# major (the chord and the scale) is A# minor.

The A# natural minor scale is as follows: A# B# C# D# E# F# G# A# (compare with C# major).

The A# harmonic minor scale is as follows: A# B# C# D# E# F# G## A# (note the singular difference between the natural and harmonic minor scales, and that G## is usually referred to as the A note).

Now we have those ground rules established, it might help in the songwriting process to substitute the mellow iii chord with a more confident III chord. Going back to the simple relative minor substitutions from last time, let's try the following progression:

I-V-I-V-IV-V-I (I-V): C# G# C# G# F# G# C# (play C# G# quickly)

Let's replace some I and V chords with their relative minors, vi and iii respectively.

I-V-vi-iii-IV-V-I (vi-V): C# G# A#m Fm F# G# C# (A#m G#)

Let's replace the iii chord with a III chord (that is a major chord).

I-V-vi-III-IV-V-I (vi-V): C# G# A#m F F# G# C# (A#m G#)

Anyway, to connect with the natural minor and harmonic minor scales mentioned above, let's look at the iii and III chords.

iii. F minor chord (F G# C notes)

III. F major chord (F A C notes)

Bb Blues Horizontal (Guitar, Intermediate)

Scale: Bb blues

Notes: Bb Db Eb E F Ab

Hollow Circles: Bb notes

Orange Circles: Bb minor pentatonic, diagonal pattern

Gray Circles: Bb minor pentatonic outside of the diagonal pattern

Blue Circles (Blue Note): E notes

Example Chord Progression for Rhythm Guitar: Bbm Gb Db Ab

Bb Blues Diagonal (Guitar, Beginner)

Scale: Bb blues

Notes: Bb Db Eb E F Ab

Hollow Circles: Bb notes

Orange Circles: Bb minor pentatonic

Blue Circles (Blue Note): E notes

Example Chord Progression for Rhythm Guitar: Bb5 Ab5 Db5 Eb5

Bb Blues Vertical (Guitar, Beginner)

Scale: Bb blues

Notes: Bb Db Eb E F Ab

Hollow Circles: Bb notes

Orange Circles: Bb minor pentatonic

Blue Circles (Blue Note): E notes

Example Chord Progression for Rhythm Guitar: Bb5 Eb5 F5

Bbm7 (Guitar, Intermediate)

A voicing like this version of Bbm7 (B-flat minor 7th), with skipped strings, requires either accurate fingerpicking or muting out certain strings with your fretting hand:

A string: Bb (root note)
G string: Ab (dominant 7th)
B string: Db (minor 3rd)
High E string: F (perfect 5th)

Bbm (Guitar, Beginner)

The symbol "Bbm" refers to the B-flat minor chord:

1. Using the length of your index finger, make a bar from the A string to the high E string, behind the 1st fret (Bb note, F note).
2. Place your middle finger on the B string, behind the 2nd fret (Db).
3. Place your ring finger on the D string, behind the 3rd fret (F).
4. Place your pinky finger on the G string, behind the 3rd fret (Bb).
5. Avoiding the low E string, strum the B minor chord.