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B minor pentatonic scale

The B minor pentatonic scale is B D E F♯ A: five notes, bluesy and open. Its formula is 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7.

Make a beat in B minor

Opens the free editor with a trap beat in B minor to play B minor pentatonic over. No account needed to start.

The notes of B minor pentatonic

From B up to B: step and a half, whole, whole, step and a half, whole. Tap a key to hear it.

B D E F♯ A B

BDEABF♯
The notes of B minor pentatonic scale by scale degree
DegreeNoteFrom the root
1BRoot
♭3DMinor third
4EPerfect fourth
5F♯Perfect fifth
♭7AMinor seventh

How B minor pentatonic is built

Take the B minor scale and leave out C♯ and G: what is left has no half steps, so no two notes clash. The same five keys, started from D, are D major pentatonic.

The natural minor scale without its second and sixth: five notes with no half steps between them. It is the first scale most guitarists solo with, and the backbone of rock, blues and hip hop melodies. The minor pentatonic scale in every key.

Chords to play B minor pentatonic over

It is built from the B minor scale, so it fits over the chords of B minor:

Bm C♯dim D Em F♯m G A

Every chord of B minor, with its key signature and progressions.

Play B minor pentatonic over a beat

A beat on the chords of B minor. Play the scale over it on the keyboard above, then open it in the editor and add your melody as its own part.

Hear it as

Questions about B minor pentatonic

What notes are in the B minor pentatonic scale?

B, D, E, F♯ and A. Its formula is 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7, counted from the major scale on B, and its steps from B up to B are: step and a half, whole, whole, step and a half, whole.

What is the difference between B minor pentatonic and B minor?

B minor has seven notes, B C♯ D E F♯ G A. The pentatonic leaves out C♯ and G, the two notes a half step from their neighbours, so what is left never clashes with the chords under it.

Is B minor pentatonic the same as D major pentatonic?

They use the same keys on the piano: D E F♯ A B is B D E F♯ A from another note. What changes is home. Over B minor chords the notes sound minor and bluesy.

Minor pentatonic scale in every key

C minor pentatonicC♯ minor pentatonicD minor pentatonicD♯ minor pentatonicE minor pentatonicF minor pentatonicF♯ minor pentatonicG minor pentatonicG♯ minor pentatonicA minor pentatonicB♭ minor pentatonicB minor pentatonic

More scales on B

B major (major scale)B minor (natural minor scale)B major pentatonicB minor pentatonicB bluesB harmonic minorB melodic minorB dorianB phrygianB lydianB mixolydianB locrianB phrygian dominant
Scales and modes
Major and minor keysMajor pentatonic scaleMinor pentatonic scaleBlues scaleHarmonic minor scaleMelodic minor scaleDorian modePhrygian modeLydian modeMixolydian modeLocrian modePhrygian dominant scaleWhole tone scale

Build a song in B minor pentatonic

Start with the beat, then add chords, a melody and your voice in the editor, part by part.

Make a beat in B minorAll music scales

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