How to Play the b-flat minor Scale on Piano - Notes, Chords & Exercises

The Notes of the b-flat Minor Scale

The b-flat Minor scale starts on Bb and includes five flat notes. It uses the notes Bb-C-Db-Eb-F-Gb-Ab-Bb. On the piano, you need to play all five black keys, plus the C and the F.

How to Play the b-flat Minor Scale With the Right Hand (Treble Clef)

On the piano, you can play the b-flat Minor scale going up (toward the higher notes), or coming down. In the treble clef, do this:

• Play the following notes going up: Bb-C-Db-Eb-F-Gb-Ab-Bb. Start playing with your second finger on the Bb-note, and tuck your thumb immediately after, to play the C. Play the Db using your second finger once again, and after you have played the Eb with your third finger, it's time to tuck the first finger once again - to play the F. Then just comfortably play up until you reach the Bb with your fourth finger.
• Play the following notes going down: Bb-Ab-Gb-F-Eb-Db-C-Bb. Reverse exactly what you did coming up. Start playing with your fourth finger and play fingers two, three, and one, down to F, then tuck your third finger over the thumb to play the Eb. After you have played the C with your first finger, tuck the second finger over the first to play the Bb.

How to Play the b-flat Minor Scale With the Left Hand (Bass Clef)

Piano beginners may find it difficult to read and play the left hand. It is worth investing some time to really familiarize yourself with the notes of the b-flat Minor scale in the bass clef, and learn how to read them in music scores.

The notes are the same as in the right hand (Bb-C-Db-Eb-F-Gb-Ab-Bb.), but they look different:

How to play with the left hand

• Going up: Starting with your second finger (the pinkie) on Bb, you play the C with your first finger and then tuck your third finger over to play the Db. Play the Eb with your second finger and the F with your first, then tuck your fourth finger (!) over to play the Gb. Continue with the third finger playing the Ab, and end the scale with the second finger playing the high Bb.
• Coming down: Reverse what you've just done! Start with your second finger. After you've played the Gb with your fourth finger, tuck your thumb under to play the F. Play the Eb and Db with your third and second finger, then tuck again to play the C. Play the Bb with your second finger.

The b-flat minor Key Signature

The key signature, located at the beginning of each line of a piece, lets you see which notes will be raised (#) or lowered (b) consistently throughout that piece.

If you spot this key signature below, the piece is likely in b-flat minor (or in its parallel scale D-flat Major, you'll be able to determine that from the "minor" or "major" mood of the piece):

6 Exercises to Practice the b-flat minor Scale

Play one exercise after the other and only move on after having correctly played the previous exercise 5 times on your piano:

1. Play the left hand up and down using a metronome and slowly increasing speed
2. Play the right hand up and down using a metronome and slowly increasing speed
3. Play both hands up and down using a metronome and slowly increasing speed
4. Play the left hand up starting from the lowest Bb to the highest, and down starting from the highest Bb to the lowest
5. Play the right hand up starting from the lowest Bb to the highest, and down starting from the highest Bb to the lowest
6. Play both hands up starting with the left hand on the lowest Bb and stopping when the right hand reaches the highest Bb, then play down to the starting position

Why you should exercise scales in general:

• To memorize a scale
• To practice dexterity and intonation (play all keys with even loudness. Beginners often play the notes they work with their stronger fingers much harder. Aim for an even tone)
• To be able to play the scale in time without hesitating to find your fingerings
• To be able to build chords and improvise

B-flat minor Chords on the Piano

A minor chord is constructed of three or more notes: The root note - the minor third - the perfect fifth.

In short, this tells us about the B-flat minor chord:

The basic Bb minor chord consists of Bb-Db-F.

• The first inversion is Db-F-Bb.
• The second inversion is F-Bb-Db.

To practice the B-flat minor chord and inversions, switch from the chord starting with the root note to the first, and the second inversion, starting slowly using a metronome, then increasing your tempo.