Bb minor chords, relative major and Camelot code (3A)
B♭ minor has 5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭). Its chords are B♭m, C°, D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭ and A♭. The relative major is D♭ major and the Camelot code is 3A, so it mixes cleanly with 2A, 4A and 3B.
Notes in the B♭ minor scale
B♭ minor has 5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭). It sounds identical to A♯ minor, which is the same set of pitches spelled differently; B♭ minor is the usual spelling.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F | G♭ | A♭ |
Chords in B♭ minor
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get the seven chords that belong to the key:
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i | B♭m | B♭ · D♭ · F |
| ii° | C° | C · E♭ · G♭ |
| III | D♭ | D♭ · F · A♭ |
| iv | E♭m | E♭ · G♭ · B♭ |
| v | Fm | F · A♭ · C |
| VI | G♭ | G♭ · B♭ · D♭ |
| VII | A♭ | A♭ · C · E♭ |
In practice most songs in B♭ minor swap the minor v for F. Raising the seventh note (A♭ to A) gives a leading note that pulls back to B♭, so F to B♭m sounds like arriving home.
Common progressions in B♭ minor
- B♭m – G♭ – D♭ – A♭ (i–VI–III–VII): the minor-key pop and trap loop.
- B♭m – E♭m – Fm (i–iv–v): the plain minor blues shape.
- B♭m – A♭ – G♭ – F (i–VII–VI–V): the descending Andalusian cadence, with a major V.
- B♭m – E♭m – A♭ – D♭ (i–iv–VII–III): a common lo-fi and R&B cycle.
Keys that mix with B♭ minor
B♭ minor is 3A on the Camelot wheel. For a clean blend, go to a key next to it:
| Camelot | Key | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| 2A | E♭ minor | One step round the wheel: shares six of its seven notes |
| 4A | F minor | One step the other way: also shares six of seven notes |
| 3B | D♭ major | The relative major: exactly the same notes |
How the wheel works is in the Camelot wheel explained, and how to use it in a set is in harmonic mixing for DJs.
Relative and parallel keys
The relative major, D♭ major, uses exactly the same notes with a different home chord. The parallel major, B♭ major, keeps B♭ as home but changes three notes. More on the difference in relative major and minor keys.
Questions people ask
What chords are in B♭ minor?
B♭m (i), C° (ii°), D♭ (III), E♭m (iv), Fm (v), G♭ (VI) and A♭ (VII).
What is the relative major of B♭ minor?
D♭ major. It uses the same 7 notes, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, but centres on D♭ instead of B♭.
What is the Camelot code for B♭ minor?
3A. In Open Key notation it is 8m.
What keys mix well with B♭ minor?
E♭ minor (2A), F minor (4A) and D♭ major (3B). They sit next to 3A on the Camelot wheel.
How many sharps or flats does B♭ minor have?
5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭).