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The Key of Bb uses the notes Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, and A and is also known as the (Key of G minor), When a song is 'written' in this key then it will use a specific set of tones and also specific chords, You can quickly identify this key from its key signature because it will have two b's (flats)...

   When you first start to play guitar you should start with the keys that use all six open strings (C,G,D), Its hard to play only certain tones and even harder to 'not' play certain tones, The key of Bb does not use all six open strings making it slightly difficult to learn the opening pattern...

Key of Bb...

   The above pattern can be called the "F mixolydian" mode which is only in the Key of Bb, All of the modes can be played different ways because of all the duplicate tones on the guitar (Aaarghh), The pattern below can also be called "F mixolydian" because they both start with F...

Key of Bb...

   Our theory on learning the scale used for all twelve keys is to learn the three patterns we teach most often, When you master all three patterns then you can learn how they peice together for the entire pattern...

Key of Bb...

Key of B...

   The entire pattern is '11 frets' so by peice together the two patterns shown above you have '8 fret' pattern, Technically you can come up with 11 different scale patterns or what are normally called blocks, The two patterns above are common patterns along with the one that falls in between them...

Key of Bb...

   Overall we just want you to realize that if you learn one scale then you really learn 12, You should also realize that a 'key' can be seen as a 'scale' because if you play all of the tones in the 'Key of Bb' then you are playing the 'Bb scale'...

   When someone says they are using the "Key of Bb" then they are using the "Bb scale", The theory with the chords are the same so if they are playing in the "Key of Bb" then they are using the chords that use tones from the Bb scale, If you learn the key of Bb then you know what chords and scales are used for any song in that key... (Then you only have 11 other keys to learn)...

   Here are the basic chords for the Key of Bb, this shows the Natural Chord Progression that they follow based on the tones starting from the key note...
(a 13th chord is commonly referred to as a 6th chord - they are identical)

Chord name --------------------- Notes used

Bb major ------------------------- Bb D F
Bb major 3rd -------------------- Bb D ..
Bb 5 ------------------------------- Bb .. F

Bb major 7th --------------------- Bb D F + A 
Bb major add9 ------------------ Bb D F + A + C
Bb sus7 -------------------------- Bb .. F + A 

Bb major 9th -------------------- Bb D F + C
Bb sus2 -------------------------- Bb .. F + C  ------- (F major sus4)

Bb major 11th ------------------- Bb D F + Eb
Bb sus4 --------------------------- Bb .. F + Eb

Bb major 6th/13th ------------- Bb D F + G
Bb sus6 --------------------------- Bb .. F + G

Compare the Bb major 13th to the G minor 7th below

G minor -------------------------- G Bb D
G minor 3rd --------------------- G Bb
G 5 -------------------------------- G .. D

G minor 7th --------------------- G Bb D + F
G minor add9 ------------------- G Bb D + F + A
G sus7 ---------------------------- G .. D + F

G minor 9th ---------------------- G Bb D + A
G sus2 ---------------------------- G .. D + A  ------- (D minor sus4)

G minor 11th --------------------- G Bb D + C
G sus4 ---------------------------- G .. D + C

G minor 6th/13th -------------- G Bb D + Eb
G sus6 ---------------------------- G .. D + Eb

Compare the G minor 13th to Eb major 7th below

Eb major ---------------------------- Eb G Bb
Eb major 3rd ---------------------- Eb G ..
Eb 5 --------------------------------- Eb .. Bb

Eb major 7th ---------------------- Eb G Bb + D
Eb major add9 -------------------- Eb G Bb + D + F
Eb sus7 ---------------------------- Eb .. Bb + D

Eb major 9th ----------------------- Eb G Bb + F
Eb sus2 ---------------------------- Eb .. Bb + F  ------- (Bb sus4)

Eb major 11th ---------------------- Eb G Bb + A
Eb sus4 ---------------------------- Eb .. Bb + A        ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

Eb major 6th/13th -------------- Eb G Bb + C
Eb sus6 ---------------------------- Eb .. Bb + C

Compare the Eb major 13th to the C minor 7th below

C minor --------------------------- C Eb G
C minor 3rd ---------------------- C Eb
C 5 -------------------------------- C .. G

C minor 7th ---------------------- C Eb G + Bb
C minor add9 -------------------- C Eb G + Bb + D
C sus7 ---------------------------- C .. G + Bb

C minor 9th ---------------------- C Eb G + D
C sus2 ---------------------------- C .. G + D  ------- (G minor sus4)

C minor 11th -------------------- C Eb G + F
C sus4 ---------------------------- C .. G + F

C minor 6th/13th --------------- C Eb G + A
C sus7 ---------------------------- C .. G + A

Compare the C minor 13th to the A diminished 7th below

A diminished ---------------------- A C Eb
A minor 3rd ----------------------- A C ..
A (b5) ------------------------------ A .. Eb        ------- (Tritonics)...

A diminished 7th ----------------- A C Eb + G
A diminished add9 --------------- A C Eb + G + Bb
A sus7 ------------------------------ A .. Eb + G      ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

A diminished 9th ----------------- A C Eb + Bb
A dim. sus7 ----------------------- A .. Eb + Bb       ------- (Eb sus4)...

A diminished 11th ----------------- A C Eb + D
A dim. sus4 ------------------------- A .. Eb + D      ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

A diminished 6th/13th -------- A C Eb + F

Compare the A diminished 13th to the F major 7th below

F major ------------------------------ F A C
F major 3rd ------------------------- F A ..
F 5 ----------------------------------- F .. C

F major 7th ------------------------- F A C + Eb
F major add9 ----------------------- F A C + Eb + G
F sus7 ------------------------------- F .. C + Eb

F major 9th ------------------------- F A C + G
F sus2 ------------------------------- F .. C + G  ------- (C minor sus4)

F major 11th ------------------------ F A C + Bb
F sus4 ------------------------------- F .. C + Bb

F major 6th/13th  ----------------- F A C + D
F sus6  ------------------------------- F .. C + D

Compare the F major 13th to the D minor 7th below

D minor ------------------------------ D F A
D minor 3rd ------------------------- D F ..
D 5 ------------------------------------ D .. A

D minor 7th -------------------------- D F A + C
D minor add9 ----------------------- D F A + C + Eb
D sus7 -------------------------------- D .. A + C

D minor 9th ------------------------- D F A + Eb
D sus2 ------------------------------- D .. A + Eb  ------- (A dim. sus4)

D minor 11th ------------------------- D F A + G
D sus4 -------------------------------- D ... A + G

D minor 6th/13th ----------------- D F A + Bb
D sus6 ------------------------------- D .. A + Bb

Compare the D minor 13th to the Bb major 7th at the very top

    * The 13th chord is most often named a 6th chord (D minor 6th = D minor 13th) the chord building structure indicates that a 6th chord, contrary to what others believe, should be named 13th. If the naming of this extension as a 6th is the proper way then why isn't there a D minor 8th, D minor 10th, and D minor 12th or D minor 14th... (See our 14th chords lesson)...

   For more information on the 13th chords, check out our lesson on 6th chords and our lesson on Chord Building You are currently looking at the Key of Bb, the best keys to change to from here are the Key of Eb and the key of F).