The B♭ major scale has two flats — B♭ and E♭ — and is the home key for an enormous slice of band and jazz literature. Trumpet, tenor sax, and clarinet are all transposing instruments in B♭, so concert-band music written in B♭ concert is the simplest possible read for those players.
Interval pattern
The Bb major scale is built from this fixed pattern of whole steps (W) and half steps (H):
- Wwhole
- Wwhole
- Hhalf
- Wwhole
- Wwhole
- Wwhole
- Hhalf
Every major scale uses this same pattern, transposed to start on a different tonic. The half-steps fall between scale degrees 3–4 and 7–8.
Scale degrees and intervals
Each note of the scale, with its scale-degree name and interval from the root:
| Degree | Note | Interval from root | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bb | Root | Tonic |
| 2 | C | M2 | Supertonic |
| 3 | D | M3 | Mediant |
| 4 | Eb | P4 | Subdominant |
| 5 | F | P5 | Dominant |
| 6 | G | M6 | Submediant |
| 7 | A | M7 | Subtonic / Leading tone |
In melody and improvisation
Big-band jazz lives in B♭ and E♭. Tunes like "Take the A Train" and "All The Things You Are" both spend significant time in B♭. Mozart's Symphony No. 39, Beethoven's 4th, and Schubert's "Trout" Quintet are all in B♭.
Relative key
The Bb major scale shares its notes with G minor. Same seven pitches, different tonal centre — when a piece moves between them, no accidentals change.
Common mistakes
Both B and E are flat — beginners sometimes flat just one. The order of flats is B-E-A-D-G-C-F, so B♭ major adds B♭ first and E♭ second.
Drill it
The Interval Trainer gives you a root note and an interval, and asks you to name the result. Practising the intervals of the Bb major scale is the fastest way to internalise it as a melodic shape rather than a memorised string of notes.
Open the Interval Trainer →Or drill key signaturesRelated
Frequently asked
- What are the notes in the B♭ major scale?
- B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, A.
- How many flats does B♭ major have?
- Two: B♭ and E♭.
- What is the relative minor of B♭ major?
- G minor.