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B♭ harmonic minor scale on guitar
B♭ harmonic minor uses B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A. Box 1 places the root on string 6 fret 6 for a compact five-fret span.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7
How do you play the B♭ harmonic minor scale on guitar?
B♭ harmonic minor in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 15 notes across 6 strings, from F on the low E string at fret 1 up to G♭ on the high e string at fret 2. The root falls on the A string at fret 1 and the G string at fret 3.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1, 2 | F, G♭ |
| 5 (A) | 1, 3, 4 | B♭, C, D♭ |
| 4 (D) | 1, 3, 4 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 3 (G) | 2, 3 | A, B♭ |
| 2 (B) | 1, 2, 4 | C, D♭, E♭ |
| 1 (e) | 1, 2 | F, G♭ |
Box 2 · frets 6–9
B♭ harmonic minor in box 2 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 15 notes across 6 strings, from B♭ on the low E string at fret 6 up to D♭ on the high e string at fret 9. The root falls on the low E string at fret 6, the D string at fret 8 and the high e string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6, 8, 9 | B♭, C, D♭ |
| 5 (A) | 6, 8, 9 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 4 (D) | 7, 8 | A, B♭ |
| 3 (G) | 6, 8 | D♭, E♭ |
| 2 (B) | 6, 7 | F, G♭ |
| 1 (e) | 6, 8, 9 | B♭, C, D♭ |
Box 3 · frets 8–11
B♭ harmonic minor in box 3 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 16 notes across 6 strings, from C on the low E string at fret 8 up to E♭ on the high e string at fret 11. The root falls on the D string at fret 8 and the B string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8, 9, 11 | C, D♭, E♭ |
| 5 (A) | 8, 9 | F, G♭ |
| 4 (D) | 8, 10, 11 | B♭, C, D♭ |
| 3 (G) | 8, 10, 11 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 2 (B) | 10, 11 | A, B♭ |
| 1 (e) | 8, 9, 11 | C, D♭, E♭ |
Box 4 · frets 11–14
B♭ harmonic minor in box 4 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 15 notes across 6 strings, from E♭ on the low E string at fret 11 up to G♭ on the high e string at fret 14. The root falls on the A string at fret 13 and the B string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11, 13, 14 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 5 (A) | 12, 13 | A, B♭ |
| 4 (D) | 11, 13 | D♭, E♭ |
| 3 (G) | 11, 14 | G♭, A |
| 2 (B) | 11, 13, 14 | B♭, C, D♭ |
| 1 (e) | 11, 13, 14 | E♭, F, G♭ |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ harmonic minor raises the seventh degree of B♭ natural minor from A♭ to A, creating a leading tone. The scale follows W, H, W, W, H, 1½, H. The augmented second between G♭ and A gives it a distinctive Middle Eastern color. Compare with B♭ natural minor to hear the raised seventh.
When to use it
Use B♭ harmonic minor over B♭ minor and B♭ 5th chords. It also fits F major as the dominant. The raised seventh creates a strong pull to the tonic, making it ideal for classical cadences and flamenco progressions.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first: the root on string 6 fret 6 keeps the hand in one position. It covers frets 1–4 and sets up Box 2.
Common questions
What notes are in B♭ harmonic minor?
B♭ harmonic minor contains B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, and A. The raised seventh is A. The scale has an augmented second between G♭ and A. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords does B♭ harmonic minor fit?
B♭ harmonic minor fits B♭ minor and B♭ 5th chords. It also works over F major as the dominant. The scale outlines a B♭ minor tonality with a major V chord.
How does B♭ harmonic minor differ from B♭ natural minor?
B♭ harmonic minor raises the seventh degree from A♭ to A. This creates a leading tone that pulls strongly to the tonic. The natural minor has a whole step between the sixth and seventh degrees.