Scale degrees · B major
The ♭3 of B is D
The ♭3 (flat three, written b3) of B is D: a minor third above the root.
B — the root, 1D — the ♭3
How to find it
Count letters first, the root included: B, C, D. A 3rd lands on D.
Then the sound: a minor third is 3 semitones above B, which is exactly where D is — no sharp or flat needed.
Where you meet it
The ♭3 makes a chord minor: B minor is the root, D and the 5th. Over a dominant chord the same key on the piano is usually written as the ♯9, with another letter.
In B minor:
B · D · F♯
The ♭3 in every key
| Key | The ♭3 |
|---|---|
| C | E♭ |
| G | B♭ |
| D | F |
| A | C |
| E | G |
| B | D |
| F♯ | A |
| D♭ | F♭ |
| A♭ | C♭ |
| E♭ | G♭ |
| B♭ | D♭ |
| F | A♭ |
Every degree of B
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