Minor scale · 7 notes
B minor scale on guitar
The B minor scale has 7 notes: B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G and A. The natural minor scale: the major scale’s darker twin, with a ♭3, ♭6 and ♭7.
Notes
- B
- C♯
- D
- E
- F♯
- G
- A
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
W – H – W – W – H – W – W
Sound
Dark, sad or serious, without being exotic
B minor on the whole fretboard
Every B minor note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, B, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
B at fret 7. 6th position: frets 6–10.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of B minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from B, the B minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 2 sharps (C♯ and F♯). Compared with B major, it has D (♭3) instead of D♯, G (♭6) instead of G♯ and A (♭7) instead of A♯.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | root | 0 |
| 2 | C♯ | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | D | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | E | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | F♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | G | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | A | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in B minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to B minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in B minor.
- iBmB · D · F♯Bm7
- ii°C♯°C♯ · E · GC♯m7♭5
- ♭IIIDD · F♯ · ADmaj7
- ivEmE · G · BEm7
- vF♯mF♯ · A · C♯F♯m7
- ♭VIGG · B · DGmaj7
- ♭VIIAA · C♯ · EA7
Progressions to try
- Bm – G – D – A i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII · epic rock/pop
- Bm – Em – F♯m i–iv–v · minor blues-style
- Bm – A – G – A i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII · rock riffing
- Bm – Em – A – D i–iv–♭VII–♭III · circle movement
How to use B minor
Reach for it over songs in a minor key, over minor and minor 7th chords, and in rock, metal, pop ballads and folk. Its sound is dark, sad or serious, without being exotic.
Tip: Every minor scale shares its notes with a major scale three frets higher. If you know G major, you already know E minor: just treat E as home.
- B minor is the relative minor of D major, so the two share all seven notes. See D major.
- B minor contains exactly the notes of D major, played from its Aeolian note, B. See D major.
Where to find B on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every B between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with B |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 7 |
| B (2nd) | 0, 12 |
| G (3rd) | 4 |
| D (4th) | 9 |
| A (5th) | 2 |
| Low E (6th) | 7 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as B minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
B minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the B minor scale?
The B minor scale has 7 notes: B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G and A. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 2 sharps (C♯ and F♯).
What chords are in B minor?
Harmonising the B minor scale in thirds gives Bm (i), C♯° (ii°), D (♭III), Em (iv), F♯m (v), G (♭VI) and A (♭VII).
Where do you play the B minor scale on guitar?
The root, B, is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 6–10, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as B minor?
B minor is the relative minor of D major, so the two share all seven notes. B minor contains exactly the notes of D major, played from its Aeolian note, B.