B Minor Bebop Guitar Scale — Drop B

Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram

B Minor Bebop in Drop B — Notes and Intervals

The B Minor Bebop scale is a variation used to navigate melodic minor harmonies in a jazz context. On Guitar, it contains the notes B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A, A#. The added chromatic passing tone allows for sophisticated phrasing and ensures that the tension and resolution points are perfectly timed with the rhythm. Commonly used in Jazz, Fusion, Contemporary. Notable players include Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, John Scofield. Use over mMaj7, m6 chords. Connects melodic minor theory with bebop rhythm for advanced jazz improvisation.

Notes: B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A, A#

Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6m, 7m, 7M

Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

Formula: W-H-W-W-H-W-H-H

Number of notes: 8

Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)

About Drop B Tuning

Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) takes the guitar into territory traditionally reserved for 7-string instruments, delivering a subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest. This tuning has become essential in modern extreme metal, deathcore, and djent, where low-end clarity and rhythmic precision are paramount.

Drop B represents the practical limit of what a standard 6-string guitar can handle before tone quality degrades. With the right string gauge (12-60 or heavier) and proper setup, it delivers the crushing lows of a 7-string while keeping the familiar 6-string layout. Bands like Architects, Periphery (on some tracks), and Parkway Drive have used Drop B to create some of the heaviest riffs in modern metal.

DeathcoreDjentProgressive MetalExtreme MetalMetalcore

Notable artists: Architects, Parkway Drive, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, Emmure

Best for: Extreme metal riffs, deathcore breakdowns, djent chugs, and any style demanding the lowest possible 6-string tuning

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in Drop B tuning