Key · major

The key of B♭ Major

B♭ Major has 2 flats (B♭ E♭). Its scale is B♭ C D E♭ F G A. The seven chords built on those degrees are I B♭, ii Cm, iii Dm, IV E♭, V F, vi Gm and vii° Adim; the dominant is F and the subdominant E♭. Its relative minor is G Minor and its parallel minor is B♭ Minor.

Key signature
2 flats · B♭ E♭
Scale
B♭ C D E♭ F G A
Relative minor
G Minor
Parallel minor
B♭ Minor

The scale on the keyboard

The B♭ Major scale on the piano keyboard: B♭ C D E♭ F G A41231234B♭CDE♭FGAB♭

Fingering for both hands, the step pattern and the other forms are on the B♭ Major scale page.

Scale degrees

DegreeNoteNameInterval from the tonic
1B♭TonicUnison
2CSupertonicMajor 2nd
3DMediantMajor 3rd
4E♭SubdominantPerfect 4th
5FDominantPerfect 5th
6GSubmediantMajor 6th
7ALeading ToneMajor 7th

Chords in B♭ Major

One chord on each degree of the scale. The dominant is F and the subdominant E♭.

NumeralTriadQualitySeventh
IB♭MajorB♭maj7
iiCmMinorCm7
iiiDmMinorDm7
IVE♭MajorE♭maj7
VFMajorF7
viGmMinorGm7
vii°AdimDiminishedAm7♭5

Chord functions

FunctionChords
TonicI · iii · vi
Subdominantii · IV
DominantV · vii°

Common progressions in B♭ Major

ProgressionChordsLevel
I – IV – VB♭ – E♭ – FEasy
I – IV – V – IB♭ – E♭ – F – B♭Easy
I – V – vi – IVB♭ – F – Gm – E♭Easy
I – vi – IV – VB♭ – Gm – E♭ – FEasy
I – IV – I – VB♭ – E♭ – B♭ – FEasy
I – V – IV – IB♭ – F – E♭ – B♭Easy
I – IV – V – IVB♭ – E♭ – F – E♭Easy
I – ii – IV – VB♭ – Cm – E♭ – FEasy
vi – IV – I – VGm – E♭ – B♭ – FMedium
I – vi – ii – VB♭ – Gm – Cm – FMedium
I – IV – vi – VB♭ – E♭ – Gm – FMedium
I – iii – IV – VB♭ – Dm – E♭ – FMedium
I – iii – vi – IVB♭ – Dm – Gm – E♭Medium
IV – I – V – viE♭ – B♭ – F – GmMedium
I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – IV – VB♭ – F – Gm – Dm – E♭ – B♭ – E♭ – FMedium
I – IV – vii° – iii – vi – ii – V – IB♭ – E♭ – Adim – Dm – Gm – Cm – F – B♭Hard
ii – V – ICm – F – B♭Medium
iim7 – V7 – Imaj7Cm7 – F7 – B♭maj7Hard
ii – V – I – viCm – F – B♭ – GmHard
I – VI – ii – VB♭ – G – Cm – FHard
I – II – V – IB♭ – C – F – B♭Hard
I – bVII – IV – IB♭ – A♭ – E♭ – B♭Medium
I – bIII – IVB♭ – D♭ – E♭Medium
I – V – bVII – IVB♭ – F – A♭ – E♭Medium
I – bVI – bVII – IB♭ – G♭ – A♭ – B♭Hard
I – IV – iv – IB♭ – E♭ – E♭m – B♭Hard
12-Bar Blues (I7 – IV7 – V7)B♭7 – B♭7 – B♭7 – B♭7 – E♭7 – E♭7 – B♭7 – B♭7 – F7 – E♭7 – B♭7 – F7Medium
Quick-Change BluesB♭7 – E♭7 – B♭7 – B♭7 – E♭7 – E♭7 – B♭7 – B♭7 – F7 – E♭7 – B♭7 – F7Medium

The other keys

C MajorG MajorD MajorA MajorE MajorB MajorF♯ MajorD♭ MajorA♭ MajorE♭ MajorF MajorA MinorE MinorB MinorF♯ MinorC♯ MinorG♯ MinorE♭ MinorB♭ MinorF MinorC MinorG MinorD Minor

Part of the key reference. See also the chords and the scales.