How to play Bb Major/G Minor Scale on Guitar (adopted from Cyclopedia Music Theory)

The Bb Major Scale is fashioned from the Key of Bb Major - Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, (Bb) and consists of the formula: tone-tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone.

Its relative minor is G Minor.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Guitar
• Metronome
• Practice

1. Bb Major (in position) beginning on the A or 5th string, at the 1st fret:
   
   
   Lower tetrachord: Bb, C, D, Eb
   Upper tetrachord: F, G, A, (Bb)
   
   
   e -----------------------------------1--3--5--3--1--
   B -----------------------------3--4-----------------
   G --------------------2--3--5-----------------------
   D -----------1--3--5--------------------------------
   A --1--3--5-----------------------------------------
   E --------------------------------------------------
   
   
   e -----------------------------------------------------
   B --4--3-----------------------------------------------
   G --------5--3--2--------------------------------------
   D -----------------5--3--1-----------------------------
   A --------------------------5--3--1-----------------1--
   E -----------------------------------5--3--1--3--5-----

2. The Gm scale is fashioned simply by beginning at the sixth degree of the Bb Major scale and follows the above interval formula of tone, tone, semitone, {tone}, tone, tone, semitone.
   
   
   G Minor
   
   
   e --------------------------------------------3--5--6--
   B -----------------------------------3--4--5-----------
   G -----------------------------3--5--------------------
   D --------------------3--5--7--------------------------
   A -----------3--5--6-----------------------------------
   E --3--5--6--------------------------------------------
   
   e --5--3--------------------------------------------
   B --------5--4--3-----------------------------------
   G -----------------5--3-----------------------------
   D -----------------------7--5--3--------------------
   A --------------------------------6--5--3-----------
   E -----------------------------------------6--5--3--

3. The next scale along the Circle of Fifths is F Major/D Minor.
   
   
   Keys:
   
   Cmaj/Am = C, D, E, F, G, A, B (no sharps or flats)
   Gmj/Em = G, A, B, C, D, E, F# (1 sharp)
   Dmaj/Bm = D, E, F#, G, A, B, C# (2 sharps)
   Amaj/F#m = A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G# (3 sharps)
   Emaj/C#m = E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D# (4 sharps)
   Bmaj/G#m = B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A# (5 sharps)
   F#/Gbmaj/D#m = F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E# (6 sharps)
   Dbmaj/Bbm = Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C (5 flats)
   Abmaj/Fm = Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G (4 flats)
   Ebmaj/Cm = Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D (3 flats)
   Bbmaj/Gm = Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A (2 flats)
   Fmaj/Dm = F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E (1 flat)

Tips & Warnings

• To form a harmonic minor, simply raise the seventh degree of a natural minor.
• To form a melodic minor, raise the seventh and sixth degrees.

Resources

• Media House Publishing (Cylopedia Music Theory)