B♭ melodic minor (ascending) (Bb melodic minor (ascending)) scale on piano
B♭ melodic minor (ascending) has 7 notes: B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G A. Degrees: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7. Formula: W H W W W W H.
What notes are in the B♭ melodic minor (ascending) 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 W W H.
What does B♭ melodic minor (ascending) sound like, and when do you use it?
The "jazz minor": minor below, major above. Modern and sophisticated. Use it over m(maj7) and m6.
Chords in B♭ melodic minor (ascending)
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i | B♭m | B♭m(maj7) |
| ii | Cm | Cm7 |
| ♭III+ | D♭+ | D♭maj7♯5 |
| IV | E♭ | E♭7 |
| V | F | F7 |
| vi° | G° | Gm7♭5 |
| vii° | A° | Am7♭5 |
Chord progressions to improvise with B♭ melodic minor (ascending)
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♭:
- Jazz minor (imaj7–i6): B♭m(maj7) | B♭m6. m(maj7) and m6: the melodic minor color in its natural home.
- ii–V–i (ii7–V7–imaj7): Cm7 | F7 | B♭m(maj7) | B♭m(maj7). ii–V to a i with a major 7th: the A is the note in charge.
- i–IV7 (i6–IV7): B♭m6 | E♭7. Like the Dorian vamp, but with the major 7th (A) in the scale.
B♭ melodic minor (ascending) on the keyboard
It uses 3 black keys: B♭, D♭ and E♭. On the interactive keyboard above you can hear it, show its degrees or intervals and practice its chords.
Same notes as
B♭ melodic minor · D♭ Lydian augmented · E♭ Lydian dominant · F Mixolydian ♭6 · G Locrian ♮2 · A altered
Melodic minor (ascending) in other keys
On other instruments
B♭ melodic minor (ascending) on guitar · B♭ melodic minor (ascending) on bass · All scales