B♭ minor pentatonic scale on guitar
The B♭ minor pentatonic scale has 5 notes: B♭, D♭, E♭, F and A♭. The most-used soloing scale in rock and blues. Five notes, no half steps between them, and a shape that sits under the fingers: it is usually the first scale guitarists learn.
Notes in B♭ minor pentatonic
- Formula
- 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7
- Step pattern
- W+H – W – W – W+H – W
- Notes
- 5
Tap a note to hear it.
B♭ minor pentatonic across the neck
Every B♭ minor pentatonic note on the first 12 frets in standard tuning. Filled dots are the root, B♭. A good place to start: B♭ on the low E string is at fret 6, so play the notes between frets 5 and 9 first, then move up the neck.
Intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval from B♭ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ | Root |
| ♭3 | D♭ | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | E♭ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | F | Perfect 5th |
| ♭7 | A♭ | Minor 7th |
Chords to play B♭ minor pentatonic over
The B♭ minor pentatonic scale fits the main chords of the B♭ minor key:
It is also the classic choice over a twelve-bar blues in B♭: B♭7, E♭7, F7.
Related scales
- It uses exactly the same five notes as D♭ major pentatonic, so one shape covers both.
- Add the ♭5 for B♭ blues, or fill in the 2nd and ♭6th for B♭ minor.
Questions
What notes are in the B♭ minor pentatonic scale?
B♭, D♭, E♭, F, A♭. Its formula is 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7.
Where do I start the B♭ minor pentatonic scale on guitar?
B♭ on the low E string is at fret 6, so play the notes between frets 5 and 9 first. The fretboard map on this page shows every B♭ minor pentatonic note on the first 12 frets.
What scales are related to B♭ minor pentatonic?
It uses exactly the same five notes as D♭ major pentatonic, so one shape covers both.
More scales
Minor pentatonic in every key
Other scales from B♭