B-flat minor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
B♭ minor

Relative key	D♭ major
Parallel key	B♭ major
Notes in this scale
B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭

B♭ minor or B-flat minor is a minor scale based on B-flat. Its key signature has five flats.

Its relative major is D-flat major, and its parallel major is B-flat major. Its enharmonic equivalent is A-sharp minor.

B-flat minor is often seen as a "dark" key." Tchaikovsky said that the oboe solo in B-flat minor in the second movement of his Symphony No. 4 was "the feeling that you get when you are all alone".

The old valveless horn could not play easily in B-flat minor. In fact, the only example found in 18th century music is a modulation in the first minuet of Franz Krommer's Concertino in D major, Opus 80.

In classical music

• Frédéric Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 2, Nocturne Op. 9 No. 1, and Scherzo No. 2
• Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Sonata No. 2
• Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13
• Peter Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1
• Peter Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave
• Sir William Walton's Symphony No. 1

In popular music

• "Part-Time Lover" – Stevie Wonder
• "Cannonball (Damien Rice song)" - Damien Rice
• All eight songs on The Raveonettes' Whip It On album are in the key of B-flat minor. Sune Rose Wagner said it was "Because Shostakovich's symphony no. 13 was in B flat minor."

Diatonic Scales and Keys
	Flats Sharps Major minor Major minor 0 C, a 1 F d G e 2 B♭ g D b 3 E♭ c A f♯ 4 A♭ f E c♯ 5 D♭ b♭ B g♯ 6 G♭ e♭ F♯ d♯ 7 C♭ a♭ C♯ a♯ 8 F♭ d♭ G♯ e♯
The table shows the number of sharps or flats in each scale. Minor scales are written in lower case.

See also

In Spanish: Si bemol menor para niños