Chords in the Key of B♭ Minor (5 flats)
B♭ minor is five flats of quiet storm and piano ballads. On guitar it's barres all the way down, B♭m, E♭m, F7.
The seven chords
| Degree | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| i | B♭m | minor |
| ii° | C dim | diminished |
| III | D♭ | major |
| iv | E♭m | minor |
| v | Fm | minor |
| VI | G♭ | major |
| VII | A♭ | major |
B♭m, E♭m, and Fm are the minors, D♭, G♭, and A♭ the majors, C diminished mostly skipped. The v often turns major, F7, when the song wants a harder pull home. That raised note is harmonic minor at work.
Common progressions
B♭m, G♭, A♭. Rock's minor lane, Zeppelin through grunge.
B♭m, E♭m, F7. The minor cadence with the major V pulling it home.
Scales to solo with
B♭ minor pentatonic is the default lead scale, and the B♭ blues scale adds the ♭5. C♯ major pentatonic is the same five notes from the relative major side.
Keep exploring
Relative major
Parallel major
Neighbor keys, one accidental away
Key of B♭ Minor FAQ
What chords are in the key of B♭ minor?
B♭m, C diminished, D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭, and A♭. In practice the v is often played major or as F7 for a stronger pull back to B♭m.
What is the relative major of B♭ minor?
D♭ major. Same key signature, same seven chords, with D♭ treated as home.
Why does B♭ minor use F7 if it isn't in the key?
The natural minor's v chord is Fm, and it pulls home gently. Raising its third turns it into F7, which pulls to B♭m much harder. That raised note comes from the harmonic minor scale, and cadences borrowed it so often it became the default.