D Flat Three Pentatonic Guitar Scale — Drop B
Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram
D Flat Three Pentatonic in Drop B — Notes and Intervals
The D Flat Three Pentatonic scale is a relatively rare jazz pentatonic scale. On Guitar, it contains the notes D, E, F, A, B. It is an effective tool for navigating blues changes, providing a unique way to differentiate between the different chords of a progression with a quirky, minor-key twist. Commonly used in Jazz, Blues, Experimental. Notable players include Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter. Use over m7, m7b5 chords. Effective for differentiating chords within a blues progression.
Notes: D, E, F, A, B
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 5P, 6M
Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5
Formula: W-H-4-W-WH
Number of notes: 5
Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)
Also known as: kumoi
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.
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
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in Standard Tuning
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in Drop D
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in DADGAD
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in Open G
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in Baritone (B Standard)
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in 7-string
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in 8-string
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in Drop C
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in Open D
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in Half Step Down
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in Open E
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in Open A
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in Double Drop D
- D Flat Three Pentatonic in Open C