B minor scale
The B minor scale is B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B. It has 2 sharps (F♯ and C♯), its relative major is D major, and the standard piano fingering is 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 in the right hand and 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 in the left hand.
B minor scale notes
The B minor scale has seven notes before the tonic repeats: B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B. Two of the seven are black keys on the piano (C♯ and F♯); the other five are white keys.
The step pattern is W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between C♯ and D and F♯ and G.
| Degree | Name | Note | Solfège (movable do) | Piano key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | B | la | White |
| 2 | Supertonic | C♯ | ti | Black |
| 3 | Mediant | D | do | White |
| 4 | Subdominant | E | re | White |
| 5 | Dominant | F♯ | mi | Black |
| 6 | Submediant | G | fa | White |
| 7 | Subtonic | A | sol | White |
Natural, harmonic and melodic B minor
B minor has three common forms. The natural minor follows the key signature. The harmonic minor raises the seventh note to A♯, which makes the chord on the fifth degree major (F♯) and gives a strong pull back to B. The melodic minor raises both the sixth and seventh notes on the way up (G♯ and A♯) and traditionally plays the natural form on the way down.
| Form | Notes | Changed from natural |
|---|---|---|
| Natural minor | B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B | Nothing: follows the key signature |
| Harmonic minor | B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A♯, B | 7th raised to A♯ |
| Melodic minor (ascending) | B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B | 6th and 7th raised to G♯ and A♯ |
B minor key signature
The B minor key signature has 2 sharps: F♯ and C♯, written in that order at the start of every line. Sharps are always added in the order F, C, G, D, A, E, B. D major shares this signature.
On the treble staff, the sharps sit F♯ on the fifth line from the bottom and C♯ in the third space from the bottom.
Shortcut: the last sharp, C♯, is one half step below the major tonic (D); the minor key with the same signature starts three half steps lower, on B.
B minor scale fingering
| Hand | Notes (ascending) | Fingers |
|---|---|---|
| Right hand | B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B | 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Left hand | B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B | 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 |
Right hand going up: D (finger 3) to E (finger 1), the thumb passes under. Left hand going up: E (finger 1) to F♯ (finger 4), the finger passes over the thumb. Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger) in both hands.
The thumb stays on white keys in both hands; the black keys go to the longer fingers. For two octaves and the descending pattern, open the free piano scale fingering tool linked below.
Chords in B minor
Building a triad on each note of the scale gives the seven chords of B minor. The primary chords are Bm (i), Em (iv) and F♯ (V). The natural minor's own fifth chord is F♯m (v), but music in B minor usually raises the seventh and uses F♯ (V) instead.
| Degree | Triad | Notes | Seventh chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | B D F♯ | Bm7 | B D F♯ A |
| ii° | C♯° | C♯ E G | C♯m7♭5 | C♯ E G B |
| III | D | D F♯ A | Dmaj7 | D F♯ A C♯ |
| iv | Em | E G B | Em7 | E G B D |
| v | F♯m | F♯ A C♯ | F♯m7 | F♯ A C♯ E |
| VI | G | G B D | Gmaj7 | G B D F♯ |
| VII | A | A C♯ E | A7 | A C♯ E G |
A common minor progression, i iv V i, is Bm, Em, F♯, Bm in B minor, using the major V from the harmonic form. The dominant seventh is F♯7 (F♯ A♯ C♯ E).
Reading B minor on the staff
B minor shares two sharps with D major. Its harmonic form raises A to A sharp, so near the top of the scale there are two black keys, F sharp and A sharp, with only the white key G between them.
On the treble staff, B4 to B5 needs 1 ledger line above the staff. On the bass staff, B3 to B4 needs 4 ledger lines above the staff. Because of those ledger lines, left hand parts in this key are often written an octave lower, from B2.
The reading trap in B minor is the key signature: the sharps are written once at the start of the line, not next to the notes. Before you play, say the altered notes out loud (F♯ and C♯), then check every F and C on the page.
How to practise the B minor scale
- Say the notes before you play them: B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B.
- Play hands separately, one octave, at a slow steady pulse (60 beats per minute, one note per beat), using 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 in the right hand and 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 in the left.
- Stop on each thumb crossing and check the next finger is already over its key before you move.
- Add the descending scale with the same fingers in reverse, then go to two octaves.
- Put the hands together only when each hand can play it three times in a row without a stop, then raise the tempo by about 8 beats per minute at a time.
- Finish with the primary chords: Bm (B D F♯), Em (E G B) and F♯ (F♯ A♯ C♯).
Clef, our iPhone and iPad app, drills minor scales (natural and harmonic, one octave), triads and arpeggios with its on-screen controls or a connected MIDI keyboard, then brings each one back on a spaced schedule so it stays learned.
Keys related to B minor
- D major scale: relative major, same key signature
- B major scale: parallel major, same tonic
- F sharp minor scale: a fifth above, 3 sharps
- E minor scale: a fifth below, 1 sharp
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the B minor scale?
The B minor scale is B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B, then B again an octave higher.
How many sharps are in B minor?
B minor has 2 sharps: F♯ and C♯.
What is the relative major of B minor?
D major. It uses the same key signature and the same notes, starting on D.
What chords are in B minor?
Bm (i), C♯° (ii°), D (III), Em (iv), F♯m (v), G (VI), A (VII). With the raised seventh of the harmonic minor, the V chord becomes F♯.
What is the fingering for the B minor scale on piano?
Right hand 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 going up from B; left hand 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 going up. Reverse the numbers to come down.