B Flat Major Scale on Piano: Notes, Fingering & How To Play It (2024)

Notes, Fingering & How To Play It

The B flat major scale on piano is an interesting one to play mainly due to the unique fingering you need to use to play it. It doesn't have many black notes - only 2 - but their locations mean we need to move on from basic scale fingering and use fingering or finger patterns just for this scale.

Here you'll learn:

• how to playthe Bb scale
• thenotesof the Bb major scale
• fingeringfor theright hand(on piano)
• fingering for theleft hand
• thekey signatureof B flat major
• a bit about the Bb majorchord
• what topractice!

B Flat Major Scale - Video Tutorial

Notes of the Bb Major Scale

The B flat major scale starts and ends on Bb. It has 2 black notes in it's key signature - Bb and Eb.

The key of Bb has Bb and Eb.

The notes of the Bb major scale are: Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

Notes of B Flat Major Scale

Piano Fingering for Bb Major Scale

The fingering for the B flat major scale on piano is unique for both the right hand and left hand. So each one should be learned on it's own in the beginning before trying to play hands together. (Get that muscle memory down!)

One of the different things is that right hand will start on finger 2 and then cross 1 under right away. Left hand will start on finger 3 but end on finger 2. So it's really a different one.

Right hand fingering for Bb Major Scale:

Right hand fingering: 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4

B Flat Major Scale on Piano - Treble Clef / Right Hand Fingering

The left hand is also unique and has it's own finger patterns.

Left hand fingering for B flat major scale on piano:

Left hand: 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2

B Flat Major Scale on Piano Fingering for Bass Clef / Left Hand

Putting the Bb Scale Hands Together

When putting this scale hands together, you really need to be able to play them hands separately without stopping to think about your fingering and notes first. Once you feel very comfortable and can play it without really thinking about it, you can start putting it together.

Here are some tips for playing the B flat major scale hands together:

• start extremely slow (think slug pace)
• take one note at a time going up only
• go back down and concentrate on getting the fingering right especially on the turn around
• keep going really slowly
• don't speed up until you can play the scale evenly, without stopping to check your fingers at your slow pace
• be patient with yourself - this ones tricky to begin with!

The B flat major scale is not a beginner scale so take that into account when learning it. It's like everything else, it takes time and practice to learn.

Resource for Piano Scales:

Fingering for all scales- especially more unique ones like Bb major, can be found in theComplete Book of Scales, Chords and Arpeggios here on Amazon(this is an affiliate link that will earn a tiny commission).

This is ahandy resourcewhen learning scales (and also arpeggios).

B Flat Major Scale Fingering Up & Down

If you're playing this scale going up and back down, use the following fingering to help you.

Here are pictures / diagrams of theBbmajor scale on pianogoing both up and back down for thetreble clef and right handand thebass clef and left hand.

Right hand fingering for Bb major scale on piano

B flat major scale piano fingering for left hand

The Key Signature of B Flat Major

Now that you know the B flat major scale, you also know the key signature of B flat major. If the scale as 2 flats, the key does.

The key of B flat has 2 flats: Bb and Eb.

(The order of the first 4 flats spells the word BEAD, so we have the first 2 letters of the word here.)

Understand the Bb Chord from the Bb Scale

Another thing we can learn from this scale is the Bb major chord - which is written as just Bb.

A major chord is built off of the first, third and fifth notes of the scale.

When you look at the scale you can see:

1st note = Bb

3rd note = D

5th note = F

Those 3 notes make the Bb chord. Bb = Bb D F

You can also see here why a Bb suspended chord has a flat. The suspended chord formula is the 1st, 4th and 5th notes of a major scale. So that means Bbsus (B flat suspended chord) would have Bb, Eb and F as it's notes.

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What To Practice?

If you've never played the B flat major scale on piano before, you can give it a try this week!

I'd recommend playing it hands separately and going up and back down.

You can also play the B flat major chord at the end of your scale.

If you need more help with fingering for scale, I recommend the book:Complete Book of Scales, Chords and Arpeggios here on Amazon(this is an affiliate link).

You can also find more scale on the Major Scales Page.