B minor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
B minor

Relative key	D major
Parallel key	B major
Notes in this scale
B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A, B

B minor is a minor scale that starts on the note B. A musical scale is a set of notes played in a certain order. The B minor scale has a special sound.

In music, a key signature tells you which notes are sharp or flat. The key of B minor has two sharps. This means that F and C notes are played a little higher.

Every minor key has a relative major key. B minor's relative major is D major. It also has a parallel major key, which is B major.

What B Minor Means in Music History

For a long time, people thought that B minor had a special feeling. In the 1700s, during the Baroque period, some musicians felt it was a key of quiet sadness. Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart, a German composer, said it sounded like a gentle complaint. This idea fit how composers like Johann Sebastian Bach used it. For example, Bach used B minor in his St. John Passion to show deep emotion.

Later, around the time of Ludwig van Beethoven, feelings about B minor changed. Some thought it was not suitable for elegant music. Beethoven even called a B minor tune in his notes a "black key." This shows it was seen as a serious or dark key.

B Minor in Popular Songs

B minor is not just for classical music. It is used in many popular songs too. A famous example is the first chord of "Comfortably Numb." This hit song by Pink Floyd came out in 1979.

The second movement of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez is also in B minor. This is a very famous piece for the classical guitar.

Why Guitarists Like B Minor

B minor is a common key in rock, folk, and country music. This is because of how guitars are tuned. The open strings on a guitar (E, A, D, G, B, E) are all notes that fit well into the B minor scale. This makes it easier for guitarists to play in this key.

Famous Classical Pieces in B Minor

Many famous classical composers have written music in B minor. These pieces show the different feelings this key can create.

• Violin Concerto No. 3 (Saint-Saëns) by Camille Saint-Saëns
• Mass in B Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach
• Piano Sonata in B minor by Franz Liszt
• Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58 by Frédéric Chopin
• Waltz Opus 69 No. 2 in B Minor by Frédéric Chopin
• Violin Concerto No. 2 in B Minor (La Campanella) by Niccolò Paganini
• Symphony No. 8 in B minor by Franz Schubert
• Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 (Pathetique) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
• E lucevan le stelle from Tosca by Giacomo Puccini
• Cello Concerto in B minor by Antonín Dvořák
• Concerto for 4 Violins and Cello, RV 580 (Concerto No. 10 from L'estro Armonico) by Antonio Vivaldi

Diatonic Scales and Keys
	Flats Sharps Major minor Major minor 0 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 shows the number of sharps or flats in each scale. Minor scales are written in lower case.

See also

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