The scale collection

B Flat Minor for left-handed guitar

The natural minor scale has a minor third, sixth and seventh compared with major.

Your scale at a glance

Bb Natural Minor: notes and intervals

The natural minor scale has a minor third, sixth and seventh compared with major.

BbCDbEbFGbAb

Formula: 1 · 2 · b3 · 4 · 5 · b6 · b7

Practise this scaleDownload scale PDFCompare with another scale →

Need a term explained? Scale and note-name terms → · Flat fifths and other intervals →

01 · Explore

Explore the left-handed fretboard

The nut is on the right. High e is at the top and low E at the bottom. Dark circles mark the root. Tap a note to hear it.

02 · Build confidence

How to start playing Bb Natural Minor

  1. Find Bb on the low E string at fret 6. Try the window starting at fret 5 as a map, or choose another comfortable root.
  2. Choose a short route from one root to the next higher root. Check the note names and pitches rather than treating every dot as a fixed playing order.
  3. Use suggested fingerings as a starting point. Shift if needed, release excess pressure and avoid strain.
  4. Try one note per beat at a comfortable tempo, such as 60 BPM. Aim for a clean sound before adding speed.

Try this: Play 1-2-b3-5, then 5-4-b3-1. Pause on the root and listen to the minor third.

How to read left-handed diagrams and standard tab

Make music

When to use Bb Natural Minor

Use over a progression built from the same natural minor key. A major V chord may introduce a raised seventh: listen and adapt.

Make a short phrase, leave a space, and finish on Bb. Listen to how the same note changes against a different chord.

Reading the tab below

Tab keeps high e at the top and low E at the bottom for both hands. Numbers are frets; play from left to right. A 0 means an open string. Finger 1 is your index finger and 4 is your little finger.

03 · Connect the shapes

Five connected views of Bb Natural Minor

Each picture shows the scale notes in a small area of the neck, called a fret window. Neighbouring pictures share some frets. Find the roots, then use a shared note to move between the views. You can choose your own fingering; these pictures use the same notes as the interactive fretboard and printable sheet.

Window 1 · open position
Left-handed Bb Natural Minor fret window 1, watermarked GuitarLefty.com
Window 2 · from fret 3
Left-handed Bb Natural Minor fret window 2, watermarked GuitarLefty.com
Window 3 · from fret 5
Left-handed Bb Natural Minor fret window 3, watermarked GuitarLefty.com
Window 4 · from fret 7
Left-handed Bb Natural Minor fret window 4, watermarked GuitarLefty.com
Window 5 · from fret 9
Left-handed Bb Natural Minor fret window 5, watermarked GuitarLefty.com
04 · Put it to music

Chords and a progression to try

Hear the harmony, then return to your scale. Chord diagrams are mirrored for left-handed guitar; high e is on the left. Movable triad voicings are provided for chords outside the beginner library.

Song ideas from the original collection

Use these as listening prompts. Recordings and arrangements can use different keys or tunings; check before playing along.

  • Part Time Lover — Stevie Wonder
  • Fastlove — George Michael
  • The Memory Remains — Metallica
  • Kiss From A Rose — Seal
  • Closer — Nine Inch Nails
05 · A little guidance

Questions before you play

Do I need to learn all five patterns at once?

No. Learn a short phrase in one comfortable area first. Add a neighbouring pattern when you can find the root and play cleanly.

Are these different notes from a right-handed guitar?

The notes and standard tuning are the same. The diagrams mirror the fretboard so you can read them for a left-handed instrument.

What if a stretch is uncomfortable?

Slow down, release excess pressure and shift position or choose another window. Stop if playing hurts.

Make sense of the notes

Understand scale roots, intervals and harmony, then try short pentatonic phrases or a beginner practice plan. Use this lesson for the exact Bb Natural Minor notes, diagrams and PDF.