B minor is a

minor scale In Classical_music, Western classical music theory, the minor scale refers to three Scale (music), scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending). ...

based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is

D major D major is a major scale based on D (musical note), D, consisting of the pitches D, E (musical note), E, F♯ (musical note), F, G (musical note), G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, and C♯ (musical note), C. Its key signature has two S ...

and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. The B harmonic minor and melodic minor scales are: Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart (1739–1791) regarded B minor as a key expressing a quiet acceptance of fate and very gentle complaint, something commentators find to be in line with Bach's use of the key in his '' St John Passion''. By the end of the Baroque era, however, conventional academic views of B minor had shifted: Composer-theorist Francesco Galeazzi (1758–1819) opined that B minor was not suitable for music in good taste.

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

labelled a B-minor melodic idea in one of his sketchbooks as a "black key".

Scale degree chords

The

scale degree In music theory, the scale degree is the position of a particular note on a scale relative to the tonic—the first and main note of the scale from which each octave is assumed to begin. Degrees are useful for indicating the size of intervals ...

chords of B minor are: * Tonic – B minor * Supertonic – C-sharp diminished * Mediant –

Subdominant In music, the subdominant is the fourth tonal degree () of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance ''below'' the tonic as the dominant is ''above'' the tonicin other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdomina ...

– E minor * Dominant – F-sharp minor *

Submediant In music, the submediant is the sixth degree () of a diatonic scale. The submediant ("lower mediant") is named thus because it is halfway between the tonic and the subdominant ("lower dominant") or because its position below the tonic is symm ...

–

G major G major is a major scale based on G (musical note), G, with the pitches G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, C (musical note), C, D (musical note), D, E (musical note), E, and F♯ (musical note), F. Its key signature has one sharp (music ...

* Subtonic – A major

Notable compositions in B minor

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

** Mass in B minor ** Orchestral Suite No. 2, BWV 1067 ** Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 544 ** French Suite No. 3, BWV 814 ** Partita for Violin No. 1, BWV 1002 ** Flute Sonata in B minor, BWV 1030 *

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

** Bagatelle Op. 126/4 * Alban Berg ** Piano sonata, Op. 1 *

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...

** Ballade (Intermezzo) Op. 10/3 ** Rhapsody Op. 79/1 ** Clarinet Quintet, Op. 115 ** Intermezzo Op. 119/1 * Alexander Borodin ** Symphony No. 2 *

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...

** Scherzo No. 1, Op. 20 ** Étude, Op. 25, No. 10 ** Prelude in B minor "Tolling Bells", Op. 28, No. 6 ** Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 58 ** Mazurka Op. 30/2 ** Mazurka, Op. 33/4 **

Waltz The waltz ( , meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom dance, ballroom and folk dance, in triple (3/4 time, time), performed primarily in closed position. Along with the ländler and allemande, the waltz was sometimes referred to by the ...

, Op. 69, No. 2 * Antonín Dvořák ** Cello Concerto, Op. 104 *

Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

** Violin Concerto * César Franck ** Prélude, Choral et Fugue, FWV 21 * Johann Nepomuk Hummel ** Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 89 *

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

** Piano Sonata, S. 178 ** Ballade No. 2, S. 171 *

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions inc ...

** String Symphony No. 10 in B minor, MWV N 10 *

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

** Adagio, K. 540 *

Niccolò Paganini Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; ; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices ...

** Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 7 *

Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and Conducting, conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a compos ...

** ''Moments musicaux'' No. 3, Op. 16 ** Prelude in B minor, Op. 32, No. 10 ** ''Études-Tableaux'' No. 4 in B minor, Op. 39 *

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (, , 9October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano ...

** Violin Concerto No. 3, Op. 61 *

Domenico Scarlatti Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti (26 October 1685 – 23 July 1757) was an Italian composer. He is classified primarily as a Baroque music, Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the development of the Classical peri ...

** 12 of his 555 piano sonatas: K 27, 87, 173, 197, 227, 293, 376, 377, 408, 409, 497, 498 *

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...

** Symphony No. 8 (''Unfinished''), D. 759 ** Rondo in B minor for violin and piano, D. 895 * Alexander Scriabin ** Fantaisie in B minor, Op. 28 * Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ** Pezzo capriccioso ** Manfred Symphony ** Symphony No. 6 (''Pathetique''), Op. 74 * Georg Philipp Telemann ** 12 Fantasias for Solo Flute: Nos. 3 and 9 ** Sonata for two flutes or violins No. 5 *

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...

Trio Sonata The trio sonata is a genre, typically consisting of several movements, with two melody instruments and basso continuo. It originated in the early 17th century and was a favorite chamber ensemble combination in the Baroque era. Basic structure T ...

Op. 1/11 ** Violin Sonata, Op. 2/5 ** Concerto for violin Op. 3/10 ** Violin Sonata, Op. 5/4 ** Violin Concerto for four violins Op. 9/12

References

Notes Sources * See also Francesco Galeazzi, ''The Theoretical-Practical Elements of Music,'' Parts III and IV; English translation, with introduction and commentary, by Deborah Burton and Gregory W. Harwood (Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 2012); . *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:B Minor Musical keys Minor scales