Squeezebox StudioB minor on a B/C button accordion
B minor uses B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G and A. On a B/C you can play the whole scale up from B3 and B4.
It has the same notes as D major, so the buttons are the same; what changes is the note the tune comes home to.
From B3 to B4
No single row has every note of this octave, so you have to cross between the rows. This is the way with the fewest changes of bellows: two going up, and four moves between rows.
| Note | Buttons |
|---|---|
| B3 | 3 push, 2′ pull |
| C♯4 | 3 pull |
| D4 | 3′ pull |
| E4 | 4 pull, 4′ push |
| F♯4 | 5 push |
| G4 | 5′ push |
| A4 | 5′ pull |
| B4 | 6 push, 6′ pull |
From B4 to B5
No single row has every note of this octave, so you have to cross between the rows. This is the way with the fewest changes of bellows: two going up, and four moves between rows.
| Note | Buttons |
|---|---|
| B4 | 6 push, 6′ pull |
| C♯5 | 7 pull |
| D5 | 7′ pull |
| E5 | 8 pull, 7′ push |
| F♯5 | 8 push |
| G5 | 8′ push |
| A5 | 9′ pull |
| B5 | 9 push, 10′ pull |
Above and below
From B2 the scale is incomplete: this box has no B2, C♯3 or D3. Tunes that go that far down will need a different note there, or a different key.
From B5 the scale is incomplete: this box has no D6, G6, A6 or B6. Tunes that go that far up will need a different note there, or a different key.
Tab is only the start
A scale shows where the notes are, but a tune rarely runs straight up the octave. Whether you play a note on the push or the pull depends on the notes either side of it, the rhythm, and whether you play along the rows or across them. Along or across the rows explains the difference.
Same notes, different home: D major, E Dorian, A Mixolydian.
B minor on other boxes: D/G melodeon, G/C melodeon.
Other keys on a B/C: G major, D major, A major, C major, F major, E major, E minor, A minor, D minor, G minor, A Dorian, E Dorian, D Dorian, B Dorian, G Dorian, D Mixolydian, A Mixolydian, G Mixolydian, C Mixolydian. Or see every key compared and the B/C button chart.