Guitar chords · Major
B chord on guitar
B (B major) has three notes: B, D♯ and F♯, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., 3 and 5.
Shapes
How to play B
Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.; the other numbers are the chord tones.
B has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 2 or the E shape at fret 7. A A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major. keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., on the lowest played string, names the chord.
A shape · fret 2
E shape · fret 7
Notes and formula
What makes B major
A major chord stacks a major 3rd and a perfect 5th on the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.. It is the bright, settled sound most songs start and end on.
- 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
- 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
- 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.
The 3rd makes B a major chord; you can leave out the 5th.
- BRroot
- D♯3essential
- F♯5optional
- B, the root
- Other chord tones
Keys
Keys with B
B belongs to seven keys: E major (V), B major (I), F♯ major (IV), E minor (V, The natural minor scale with its 7th raised a half step, which makes the V chord major and gives it a strong pull home.), C♯ minor (VII), G♯ minor (III) and D♯ minor (VI).
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Progressions
Progressions with B
Common progressions that use B, each in a key that spells it B. The outlined chord is B.
The pop axis in B major
I – V – vi – IV
- B
- F♯
- G♯m
- E
Four chords that carry a huge share of modern pop. All four sit next to each other on the circle.
Heard in Let It Be, No Woman No Cry, With or Without You
Three-chord rock in B major
I – IV – V – IV
- B
- E
- F♯
- E
Tonic, subdominant, dominant: the key and its two neighbours on the outer ring.
Heard in La Bamba, Twist and Shout, Wild Thing
'50s doo-wop in B major
I – vi – IV – V
- B
- G♯m
- E
- F♯
The vi chord softens the move from I to IV before the V pulls back home.
Heard in Stand by Me, Every Breath You Take
Minor pop in C♯ minor
i – VI – III – VII
- C♯m
- A
- E
- B
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Andalusian cadence in E minor
i – VII – VI – V
- Em
- D
- C
- B
A stepwise walk down to a major V borrowed from harmonic minor. Flamenco's signature move.
Heard in Hit the Road Jack, Runaway, Stray Cat Strut
Slash chords
B over another bass note
A A chord with a different note in the bass, written after a slash: C/E is a C chord with E as its lowest note. The letter after the slash is the bass. keeps B on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.
- B/D♯
B with its 3rd, D♯, in the bass: the first inversion.
- B/F♯
B with its 5th, F♯, in the bass: the second inversion.
- B/A♯
B over A♯, a passing bass a The smallest distance in Western music: one fret on the guitar, such as E to F or F to F♯. below the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in B, B/A♯, G♯m.
- B/A
B over A, a passing bass a Two half steps, or two frets on the guitar, such as C to D. below the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in B, B/A, E.
Same root
Other chords on B
Change one or two notes and the same The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. gives a different colour. Compare them by ear.
- Bm minor
- B7 dominant 7th
- Bmaj7 major 7th
- Bm7 minor 7th
- Bsus2 suspended 2nd
- Bsus4 suspended 4th
- B6 major 6th
- Bm6 minor 6th
- Badd9 add 9
- B9 dominant 9th
- Bmaj9 major 9th
- Bm9 minor 9th
- B13 dominant 13th
- Bmaj13 major 13th
- Bm11 minor 11th
- B° diminished
- Bm7♭5 half-diminished 7th
- B°7 diminished 7th
- B+ augmented
- B5 power chord
- B7sus4 dominant 7th suspended 4th
- Bm(maj7) minor major 7th
- B6/9 six-nine
- Bm(add9) minor add 9
- B7♯9 dominant 7th sharp 9th
Questions
B, in short
- What notes are in the B chord?
- B (B major) has three notes: B, D♯ and F♯, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., 3 and 5.
- How do you play B on guitar?
- B has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 2 or the E shape at fret 7.
- What key is B in?
- B belongs to seven keys: E major (V), B major (I), F♯ major (IV), E minor (V, The natural minor scale with its 7th raised a half step, which makes the V chord major and gives it a strong pull home.), C♯ minor (VII), G♯ minor (III) and D♯ minor (VI).