Bb Aeolian

What is Bb Aeolian?

Bb Aeolian is the seven notes Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab — the notes of Db major started from its 6th degree, Bb. Same seven notes as the parent, but with Bb as home, so the intervals and the sound are different.

Bb Aeolian vs Bb natural minor

They are the same seven notes in the same order. “Aeolian” is the mode name for the natural minor scale — it says which chord you treat as home, not that any note changed.

Chords in Bb Aeolian

Stack the mode in thirds and each degree becomes a chord. The home chord is Bbm; the rest are the chords of Db major, since the notes are the same — what changes is which one the music rests on. Vamp between Bbm and Gb and the mode is unmistakable.

All the chords in Db major, with shapes and numerals →

Bb Aeolian on the guitar neck

Because Bb Aeolian is Db major from its 6th note, its natural fingering is position 6 of the seven three-notes-per-string shapes of Db major — the shape whose lowest note is Bb. Learn that shape with Bb as home — start and end on it, over a drone on Bb or the vamp above — and you have the mode under your fingers. Play the same shape with Db as home and you hear Db major instead. The other six positions are the fingerings for the other six modes of the same key.

• The seven positions of Db major — the Aeolian shape is position 6 →
• See every Bb Aeolian note across the whole neck →

How to practice Bb Aeolian on guitar

1. Loop position 6 of Db major at 60 BPM, starting and ending on Bb so your ear hears Bb as home rather than Db.
2. Hold a Bbm chord (or record one) and play the shape over it. Listen for the chord tones landing on the beat.
3. Hear it harmonized in 3rds on the Fretboard: press Play and every note sounds with its partner while the neck lights up.