The B Minor scale is a foundational scale for guitarists across genres, offering a gateway to expressive melodies and powerful riffs. Often referred to as the Natural B Minor scale, it’s a seven-note scale that’s essential for understanding minor key harmony and improvisation. This guide will break down the B minor scale, providing you with diagrams, shapes, and the music theory you need to master it on your guitar.
Understanding the B Minor Scale
The B Minor scale, in its natural form, follows a specific pattern of whole and half steps. Visually, on your guitar fretboard, this translates into distinct shapes and positions that are crucial to learn. The diagrams below illustrate the B Minor scale in two octaves and across the full fretboard, highlighting the root notes (B) for easy orientation.
B Minor Scale 2 Octaves
B Minor Full Fretboard
alt: B Minor Scale Full Fretboard Diagram. This image shows the B Minor scale across the entire guitar neck with root notes highlighted for guitar players learning scales.
B Minor Scale with Note Names
Understanding the note names within the B Minor scale is just as important as visualizing its shape. The notes in the B Minor scale are: B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A.
B Minor Scale Shapes and Positions
To effectively play the B Minor scale across the guitar neck, it’s broken down into five essential shapes or positions. Each shape provides a comfortable and logical fingering for a specific section of the fretboard. Here are the five common shapes for the B Minor scale:
Shape 1 (6th Position)
alt: B Minor Scale Shape 1 Diagram 6th Position. Guitar scale diagram showing the first shape of the B Minor scale starting at the 6th position of the guitar neck, ideal for practicing scales.
This first shape, often referred to as the 6th position shape, starts around the 6th fret. It’s a great starting point for many guitarists learning the B minor scale and is useful for playing in the middle register of the guitar.
Shape 2 (9th Position)
Shape 3 (11th Position)
alt: B Minor Scale Shape 3 Diagram 11th Position. Guitar fretboard diagram illustrating the third shape of the B Minor scale located at the 11th position on the guitar neck, helpful for scale practice.
Shape 3, situated around the 11th fret, allows you to access the higher notes of the B minor scale. This position is particularly useful for lead guitar playing and soloing in higher registers.
Shape 4 (2nd Position)
Shape 5 (4th Position)
alt: B Minor Scale Shape 5 Diagram 4th Position. Diagram showing the fifth shape of the B Minor scale starting at the 4th position of the guitar fretboard, a key shape for guitar scale mastery.
Shape 5, found around the 4th fret, connects the lower register back to the middle register. This shape is crucial for smoothly transitioning between different parts of the neck while playing the B minor scale.
B Minor Scale Intervals and Formula
Understanding the intervals within the B Minor scale provides a deeper theoretical understanding. The scale is built using the following interval pattern: Root – Major 2nd – Minor 3rd – Perfect 4th – Perfect 5th – Minor 6th – Minor 7th.
Numerically, this is represented by the formula: 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 2, where 2 represents a whole step and 1 represents a half step.
| Formula | Notes | Intervals | Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | Unison | Tonic |
| 2 | C# | Major second | Supertonic |
| b3 | D | Minor third | Mediant |
| 4 | E | Perfect fourth | Subdominant |
| 5 | F# | Perfect fifth | Dominant |
| b6 | G | Minor sixth | Submediant |
| b7 | A | Minor seventh | Subtonic |
B Minor, D Major, and B Aeolian Mode
The B Minor scale shares a close relationship with the D Major scale. In fact, they are relative scales, meaning they contain the same notes but start on different root notes. D Major is the relative major of B Minor.
Additionally, the Natural B Minor scale is identical to the B Aeolian mode. Modes are variations of scales that create different melodic flavors, and the Aeolian mode is another name for the natural minor scale.
Chords in the Key of B Minor
Building chords from the B Minor scale creates harmonies that are characteristic of the minor key. Here are common chords you can build within the key of B Minor:
| Chord Type | Chords |
|---|---|
| Minor | Bm, Bm7, Bm9, Bm11 |
| Diminished | C#dim, C#m7b5 |
| Major | D, Dmaj7, D6, D6/9, Dmaj9, Dmaj13, G, Gmaj7, G6, G6/9, Gmaj9, A, A7, A6, A9, A11, A13 |
| Minor | Em, Em7, Em6, Em9, Em11, Em13, F#m, F#m7 |
The Bm chord is the tonic chord in B minor, providing the foundation for progressions in this key.
Practice and Jam in B Minor
To truly internalize the B Minor scale, practice playing it in different shapes and positions regularly. Use backing tracks in B minor to improvise and develop your melodic ideas using the scale.
Start with the first shape ascending to get your fingers moving:
B Minor scale first shape ascending.
The numbers above the tablature are suggested fingerings.
By understanding the shapes, theory, and practicing regularly, you’ll unlock the expressive potential of the B minor scale on guitar and enhance your musical vocabulary.
