B♭ Aeolian (Bb Aeolian) scale on piano
B♭ Aeolian has 7 notes: B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭. Degrees: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. Formula: W H W W H W W.
What notes are in the B♭ Aeolian scale?
B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭ and A♭. It has 7 notes; its formula in whole and half steps is W H W W H W W.
What does B♭ Aeolian sound like, and when do you use it?
Melancholic and epic: the "pure" minor, with no leading tone. Use it over m7 · the vi of a major key, i–♭VII–♭VI progressions.
To hear it: All Along the Watchtower — Bob Dylan / Jimi Hendrix.
Chords in B♭ Aeolian
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i | B♭m | B♭m7 |
| ii° | C° | Cm7♭5 |
| ♭III | D♭ | D♭maj7 |
| iv | E♭m | E♭m7 |
| v | Fm | Fm7 |
| ♭VI | G♭ | G♭maj7 |
| ♭VII | A♭ | A♭7 |
Chord progressions to improvise with B♭ Aeolian
In Jam mode (the Jam button above) a band of grand piano, upright bass and drums (recorded instruments) plays these progressions as swing, bossa, groove or ballad, and the keyboard lights up the notes of each chord as it plays. It's a backing track made for this scale in B♭:
- Epic (i7–♭VImaj7–♭VII7): B♭m7 | G♭maj7 | A♭7 | B♭m7. The ♭VI brings out the ♭6 (G♭): the note that separates Aeolian from Dorian.
- Minor rock (i–♭VII–♭VI): B♭m | A♭ | G♭ | A♭. i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII, like “All Along the Watchtower”. Short, rhythmic riffs.
- i–iv (i7–iv7): B♭m7 | B♭m7 | E♭m7 | E♭m7. Two minor chords, two bars each. Over the iv, the G♭ is the chord's 3rd.
B♭ Aeolian on the keyboard
It uses 5 black keys: B♭, D♭, E♭, G♭ and A♭. On the interactive keyboard above you can hear it, show its degrees or intervals and practice its chords.
Same notes as
D♭ major · B♭ natural minor · D♭ Ionian · E♭ Dorian · F Phrygian · G♭ Lydian · A♭ Mixolydian · C Locrian