Explore chords · Guitar
B minor chord on guitar (Bm)
Also called or written Bm or Bmin
B minor contains B, D, and F♯, built from 1, ♭3, 5. The 2nd fret barre shape is a staple for rock and pop rhythm parts.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5
- Root positionB–D–F♯Bm×-2-4-4-3-2
- First inversionD–F♯–BBm/D×-5-4-4-3-×
- Second inversionF♯–B–DBm/F♯2-2-4-4-3-2
How do you play a B minor chord on guitar?
B minor is played at the 2nd fret as × 2 4 4 3 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, ring finger on the D string at fret 4, pinky finger on the G string at fret 4 and middle finger on the B string at fret 3. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 3 | F♯ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 4 | B (1) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 2 | D (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
IntermediateThe hardest part is holding the index barre across the A and high E strings while the middle, ring, and pinky fingers fret three separate notes.
7th fret
B minor is played at the 7th fret as 7 9 9 7 7 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, ring finger on the A string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the D string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 3 | F♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 4 | B (1) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 1 (barre) | D (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (1) |
Bmin/D inversion · fret 3
B minor is played at the 3rd fret as × 5 4 4 3 ×: pinky finger on the A string at fret 5, middle finger on the D string at fret 4, ring finger on the G string at fret 4 and index finger on the B string at fret 3. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 4 | D (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 2 | F♯ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 3 | B (1) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 1 | D (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Bmin/D inversion · fret 9
B minor is played at the 9th fret as 10 9 9 11 × ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 10, index finger on the A string at fret 9, middle finger on the D string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 11. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 3 | D (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 | F♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 2 | B (1) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 4 | F♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Bmin/D inversion · fret 10
B minor is played at the 10th fret as × × 12 11 12 10: ring finger on the D string at fret 12, middle finger on the G string at fret 11, pinky finger on the B string at fret 12 and index finger on the high e string at fret 10. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 3 | D (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 2 | F♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 12 | 4 | B (1) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 1 | D (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
B minor is built from the root B, a minor third D, and a perfect fifth F♯. The ♭3 interval is what separates it from B major, which raises that note to D♯. This single semitone change turns the chord from bright to dark.
What goes wrong with B minor?
- Letting the index barre lift off the high E string, which mutes the top note.
- Strumming the low E string, which is not a chord tone and sounds dissonant.
- Allowing the ring and pinky fingers to collapse and mute the adjacent strings.
When to use it
B minor is the vi chord in D major, so it appears in progressions like D–A–Bm–G (I–V–vi–IV). It suits rock, folk, and any progression that needs a minor lift. Pair it with D major and G major for the I–vi–IV–V loop.
Changing to and from B minor
- Slide the shape up one fret to the 3rd fret to play C minor.
- Move to D major by shifting the barre to the 2nd fret and changing the fretted notes to 4-4-3-2.
Which voicing to use
The 2nd fret barre shape gives the root B in the bass and is the standard voicing. The 7th fret barre repeats the same shape an octave higher, while the Bmin/D inversion puts D in the bass for a less stable sound.
Other B chords
Common questions
How is B minor written?
B minor is written Bm, Bmin, B−, or Bmi. The root is B, and no enharmonic spelling is used.
What is the difference between B minor and B major?
B minor lowers the third from D♯ to D. That single note changes the chord from major to minor and gives it a sadder quality.
Why is the low E string muted in the B minor shape?
The low E is not a chord tone, so muting it prevents a dissonant note from ringing. It also keeps the bass note as B.
Can B minor be played without a barre?
Yes, the Bmin/D inversion at the 5th fret uses no barre. But it puts D in the bass and is less common as a root-position chord.