Key guide
B♭ major: scale, key signature and chords
B♭ major has two flats (B♭, E♭). Its scale is B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, A — play the scale and every chord below.
- Key signature
- B♭ E♭ — two flats
- Scale notes
- B♭ C D E♭ F G A
- Relative minor
- G minor
- Parallel minor
- B♭ minor
- Dominant key
- F major
- Subdominant key
- E♭ major
- On the piano
- 2 black keys and 5 white in the scale
The B♭ major scale
The B♭ major scale uses the notes B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, A, the major-scale pattern of whole and half steps (W–W–H–W–W–W–H) starting on B♭. Each letter name appears once, which is why the accidentals are written as B♭, E♭ rather than as their enharmonic equivalents.
| Degree | Note | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ | tonic |
| 2 | C | supertonic |
| 3 | D | mediant |
| 4 | E♭ | subdominant |
| 5 | F | dominant |
| 6 | G | submediant |
| 7 | A | leading tone |
Chords in B♭ major
Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives seven diatonic triads and seven seventh chords. The Roman numeral gives each chord’s position; the role column says what it usually does in a phrase.
| Chord | Triad | Seventh | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | B♭ D F | B♭ D F A | tonic |
| ii | C E♭ G | C E♭ G B♭ | predominant |
| iii | D F A | D F A C | tonic substitute |
| IV | E♭ G B♭ | E♭ G B♭ D | predominant |
| V | F A C | F A C E♭ | dominant |
| vi | G B♭ D | G B♭ D F | tonic substitute |
| vii° | A C E♭ | A C E♭ G | dominant |
Chord progressions in B♭ major
Four progressions worked out in B♭ major, each one playable:
- I – V – vi – IV B♭ – F – Gm – E♭The four-chord loop under a large share of pop songs.
- ii – V – I Cm – F – B♭The standard jazz cadence: predominant, dominant, tonic.
- I – IV – V – I B♭ – E♭ – F – B♭The plain three-chord cadence at the root of tonal harmony.
- I – vi – IV – V B♭ – Gm – E♭ – FThe 1950s progression: tonic, relative minor, subdominant, dominant.
Keys related to B♭ major
- Relative minor: G minor — same key signature, different home note.
- Dominant: F major — one step clockwise on the circle of fifths; the key most pieces in B♭ major modulate to.
- Subdominant: E♭ major — one step counter-clockwise, adding one flat (or removing one sharp).
- Parallel minor: B♭ minor — same tonic, opposite mode.
Questions
What are the notes in B♭ major?
The B♭ major scale is B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, A.
How many sharps or flats are in B♭ major?
B♭ major has two flats: B♭, E♭.
What is the relative minor of B♭ major?
The relative minor of B♭ major is G minor. The two keys share a key signature and the same seven notes, but G is the home note of the minor key.
What chords are in B♭ major?
The seven diatonic triads in B♭ major are B♭, Cm, Dm, E♭, F, Gm, A°.