B minor runs B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – A – B. Natural minor follows whole–half–whole–whole–half–whole–whole steps. The key signature is 2 sharps (F♯, C♯). C♯, F♯ are black keys; the other 5 scale notes are played on white keys. The last B is the first note again, one octave higher.
B minor notes and fingering
Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger). These are the one-octave ascending fingerings for the natural-minor form, one hand at a time:
| Notes | B | C♯ | D | E | F♯ | G | A | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Fingering source: LearnMusicTheory.net, “Major and Natural Minor Scales for Piano,” §2.7.
Play slowly until every note has the same length. At a 1 in the middle of the right-hand row, pass the thumb underneath. At a 3 or 4 after left-hand 1, cross that finger over. Descend by reversing the same finger numbers. The altered notes of harmonic and melodic minor may call for a different fingering; this table is for natural minor.
Key signature and relative key
B minor has 2 sharps (F♯, C♯). Its relative major is D major. The relative major starts on D, three half steps above B. They share a key signature and the same seven notes.
Natural, harmonic and melodic minor
| Form | Notes ascending | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Natural | B · C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G · A · B | Key-signature notes |
| Harmonic | B · C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G · A♯ · B | Raise scale degree 7 |
| Melodic | B · C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B | Raise degrees 6 and 7 going up |
In classical practice, melodic minor usually comes down with the natural-minor notes: B · A · G · F♯ · E · D · C♯ · B. The keyboard's Play up and down button follows that convention when you select melodic minor.
The seven chords in B minor
Stack every other scale note to make three-note chords. The Roman numeral tells you which degree supplies the root; upper-case numerals are major, lower-case are minor, and ° means diminished.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | B · D · F♯ |
| ii° | C♯dim | C♯ · E · G |
| III | D | D · F♯ · A |
| iv | Em | E · G · B |
| v | F♯m | F♯ · A · C♯ |
| VI | G | G · B · D |
| VII | A | A · C♯ · E |
The v chord here comes from natural minor. Raising degree 7 for harmonic minor changes it to a major V, F♯.
Progressions to try
- i – iv – v – i: Bm – Em – F♯m – Bm. These chords use only the natural-minor notes above.
- i – V – i: Bm – F♯ – Bm. The V chord uses the raised 7th from harmonic minor, giving a stronger pull back to i.
Play the scale up and down, then try each progression without leaving the key. Start one hand at a time, and use the highlighted keyboard above to check any note. The scale finder and piano chord finder let you compare other keys.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the B minor scale?
B minor is B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B. Its key signature is 2 sharps (F♯, C♯).
What fingers play the B minor scale?
Ascending one octave, right hand: 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5; left hand: 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1. Reverse the order to descend. These fingerings are for natural minor.
What is the relative major of B minor?
D major. The keys share 2 sharps (F♯, C♯) and the same seven notes.