B-flat major

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B♭ major
Relative key G minor
Parallel key B♭ minor
Dominant key F major
Subdominant E♭ major
Component pitches
B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, A, B♭
Also see: B-flat minor.

The B♭ (B-flat) major scale consists of the pitches B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two flats, B/E (see below: Scales and keys).

Its relative minor is G minor, and its parallel minor is B♭ minor.

Many transposing instruments are pitched in B-flat major, including the clarinet, trumpet, tenor saxophone, and soprano saxophone.

Ascending and descending B-flat major scale.  Play in just intonation (help·info)

History

Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 98 is credited as the first symphony he (or anyone else) wrote in that key in which he included trumpet and timpani parts. Actually, his brother Michael Haydn had written one such symphony earlier, No. 36. Though Haydn still gets credit for writing the timpani part at actual pitch with an F major key signature (instead of transposing with a C major key signature), a procedure that made sense since he limited that instrument to the tonic and dominant pitches.[1] Many editions of the work, however, use no key signature and specify the instrument as "Timpani in B-flat – F."

Five of Mozart's piano concertos are in B-flat major.

Well-known classical compositions in B-flat major

See also: List of symphonies in B-flat major

Well known pop music tracks written in B-flat major

References

  1. ↑ H. C. Robbins Landon, Haydn Symphonies London: British Broadcasting Corporation (1966): 57
  2. ↑ http://musescore.com/user/12302/scores/123595
  3. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_%28Sara_Bareilles_song%29

Scales and Keys

Diatonic scales and keys
Flats Sharps
Major minor Major minor
0 C a 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 indicates the number of sharps or flats in each scale. Minor scales are written in lower case.
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