B minor
B minor is a key of the tonal family minor, which is built on the fundamental B. The key of B minor is written in musical notation with two crosses (F sharp, C sharp). The corresponding scale and the fundamental chord of this key (the tonic B-d-f sharp) are also designated with the term B minor.
In English the key is called b minor, which is why it is often given the chord symbol b or Bm in light music (see also tone names in other languages).
Many composers of the Baroque period and later (such as Beethoven and Schubert) associated this key with darkness and death; see also the article Key Character. J. S. Bach's Mass in B minor is named after this key, which Bach's contemporary Johann Mattheson described as "bizarre, unfunny and melancholy". Beethoven is said to have called it a "black key" (he was working on a B minor symphony). The note B also often stands for death (Schubert: "Die schöne Müllerin", "Winterreise").
Key classification
| Keys and their accidentals | |||||||||||||||
| Portent: | 7 ♭ | 6 ♭ | 5 ♭ | 4 ♭ | 3 ♭ | 2 ♭ | 1 ♭ | 0 ♭/♯ | 1 ♯ | 2 ♯ | 3 ♯ | 4 ♯ | 5 ♯ | 6 ♯ | 7 ♯ |
| Major keys: | Ces | Ges | Des | As | It | B | F | C | G | D | A | E | H | F# | C sharp |
| Minor keys: | as | it | b | f | c | g | d | a | e | h | F# | cis | gis | dis | ais |
Questions and Answers
Q: What is B minor?
A: B minor is a minor scale based on B.
Q: What note does the harmonic minor raise?
A: The harmonic minor raises the A to A♯.
Q: How many sharps are in B minor's key signature?
A: B minor's key signature has two sharps.
Q: What is B minor's relative major?
A: B minor's relative major is D major.
Q: What is B minor's parallel major?
A: B minor's parallel major is B major.
Q: What did Schubart think about B minor?
A: Schubart thought that B minor was the key of passive suffering and a complaining, gentle and quiet key.
Q: Why was B minor not suitable for music in Beethoven's time?
A: Francesco Galeazzi wrote that B minor was not suitable for music in good taste, and Beethoven labelled a B minor melodic idea in one of his sketchbooks as a "black key".
