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Scale · Reference entry

B♭ Major Bebop Scale

Major Bebop Scale · B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G♭ – G – A – B♭ · intervals P1-M2-M3-P4-P5-m6-M6-M7

The B♭ Major Bebop Scale contains the notes B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G♭, G, and A. Its step pattern is W-W-H-W-H-H-H-W. A major scale with a chromatic passing tone between 5th and 6th — bebop's eight-note major.

At the keyboard

Bb · C · D · Eb · F · Gb · G · A
Flashcards · Scale
Three questions on B♭ Major Bebop Scale
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The B♭ Major Bebop scale contains eight notes: B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G♭, G, and A. It follows the whole-step / half-step pattern W-W-H-W-H-H-H-W.

B♭ Major Bebop Scale Notes

DegreeNameNoteInterval
1RootB♭P1
2Major 2ndCM2
3Major 3rdDM3
4Perfect 4thE♭P4
5Perfect 5thFP5
♭6Minor 6thG♭m6
6Major 6thGM6
7Major 7thAM7
8OctaveB♭P8

Key Signature

The B♭ Major Bebop Scale doesn’t line up with a single major or minor key, so it has no standard key signature. Its notes are written with accidentals as needed.

Accidentals

B♭E♭G♭

B♭ Major Bebop Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the notes of the B♭ Major Bebop Scale on piano?
The B♭ Major Bebop Scale uses the notes B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F – G♭ – G – A – B♭. Play them in order from the root up to the octave, hands separately first, then together.
What notes are in the Bb Major Bebop Scale?
The Bb Major Bebop Scale contains eight notes: Bb – C – D – Eb – F – Gb – G – A. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does Bb Major Bebop have?
The Bb Major Bebop Scale doesn't correspond to a single major or minor key, so it has no standard key signature. Its notes are written with accidentals as needed: B♭, E♭, G♭.
What is the relative minor of Bb Major Bebop?
The relative minor of Bb Major Bebop is G Minor. Both scales share the same key signature and the same seven notes — the difference is which note feels like "home." That's why a song in C major and a song in A minor look identical on the staff but feel completely different.
What is the parallel minor of Bb Major Bebop?
The parallel minor of Bb Major Bebop is Bb Minor. "Parallel" means same root, opposite mode — the third, sixth, and seventh are all a half-step lower in the minor version. Modal interchange (borrowing chords from the parallel key) is one of the most useful tricks in pop and jazz writing.
What does the Bb Major Bebop Scale sound like?
The Bb Major Bebop Scale has a distinctive sound shaped by its specific interval pattern. Listen to the audio playback above to hear the character on every note.

Related Tools

Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.

References & Further Reading

The note names, intervals, fingering, and harmony on this scale page are grounded in the following sources. Public domain treatises and scores are linked to their full text; primary data is piano.org's own interval-derived reference dataset — continuously maintained and human-verified, with no fixed publication date.

  1. 1

    George Grove (ed.)(1900)

    A Dictionary of Music and Musicians

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2

    C. P. E. Bach(1753)

    Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3

    Hanon, Charles-Louis(1873)

    The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises

    Public domain treatise
  4. 4

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Entry reviewed and maintained by Justin Evans. Corrections are read and applied.Report an error

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