Bb Persian
B flat Persian scale for guitar.
The Bb Persian is a seven-note scale. Notes are displayed in the diagram with blue color with the root notes indicated by darker color. In the two-octave pattern, the first root note (the tonic) appears on the 6th string, 6th fret.
Bb
2 octaves
Notes: Bb - Cb - D - Eb - Fb - Gb - A
Intervals: 1 - 3 - 1 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 1
Type: Septonic
The scale displayed with its numeric formula, notes, intervals and scale degrees.
| Formula | Notes | Intervals | Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bb | Unison | Tonic |
| b2 | Cb | Minor second | Supertonic |
| 3 | D | Major third | Mediant |
| 4 | Eb | Perfect fourth | Subdominant |
| b5 | Fb | Diminished fifth | Dominant |
| b6 | Gb | Minor sixth | Submediant |
| 7 | A | Major seventh | Leading tone |
The second degree is written as Cb, which is the same as B. The fifth degree is written as Fb, which is the same as E. A practice in a scale notation is to not include the same letter twice, if it can be avoided.
The B flat Persian consists of seven notes. These can be described as steps according to the following formula: half, whole and a half, half, half, whole, whole and a half and half from the first note to the same in the next octave.
The scale can be played on the guitar from different starting positions in which Bb functions as the tonic.
Bb Persian has similarities with Bb Gypsy Major, Bb Locrian and Bb Phrygian Dominant Mode.
This scale is foremost used in Persian and Middle East music.
When harmonized, only the second and fourth degrees are matched with common major or minor triads, B and Ebm that is.
One way to learn this scale is to observe the two chromatic sequences as well as the two tree-step intervals in each octave.