Chords in the Key of B Minor — Guitar Chord Chart

The key of B minor has 2 sharps, and its seven chords are Bm, C♯dim, D, Em, F♯m, G, A. Start with Bm, Em, F♯m: they are the three a song in B minor cannot do without. Every diagram below plays when you press it.

The seven chords of B minor

One chord on each note of the scale, built from the scale’s own notes. Capital numerals are major chords, small ones minor, and ° is diminished.

iBmx24432the home chord
ii°C♯dimx42020rare — a passing chord
IIIDxx0232the relative major
ivEm022000the step away from home
vF♯m244222the natural, gentler dominant
VIG320003bright against the minor home
VIIAx02220a whole step under home

The three to learn first

Bm is home — the chord the song starts from and ends on. Em is the step away, and F♯m is the one that pulls back home. On guitar they are x24432, 022000 and 244222: Bm with a barre at the 2nd fret and three more fingers, Em with two fingers and F♯m with a barre at the 2nd fret and two more fingers.

The easy way: a capo at the 2nd fret

B minor is not a friendly key on guitar — Bm and F♯m need a barre or a fourth finger. Clamp a capo at the 2nd fret and play the chords of A minor instead: every shape sounds 2 semitones higher, so the Am shape sounds Bm, the Dm shape sounds Em and the Em shape sounds F♯m.

Progressions in B minor

The orders these chords are most often played in. Press play to hear each one strummed, a bar to a chord.

i – iv – V7Bm – Em – F♯7

The minor three-chord song, with the major dominant.

i – VI – III – VIIBm – G – D – A

The four-chord pop progression, started from its minor chord.

i – VII – VI – V7Bm – A – G – F♯7

The descending “Andalusian” line.

The sevenths

Four-note versions of the same chords. F♯7 is the one worth learning first: it is F♯m with one note added, and it pulls toward Bm harder than the plain chord does.

V7F♯7242322the major dominant, borrowed from the harmonic minor
i7Bm7x20202home, softened
iv7Em7020000the step away, softened

The scale behind the chords

B minor is the notes B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – A. Every chord above uses only those seven notes (except F♯7, which raises the seventh), which is why they sound as if they belong together — and why a melody in B minor fits over any of them. Its relative major is D major, which has the same notes and the same chords with a different home.

The nearest keys are a fifth either side: F♯ minor and E minor. Each shares six of this key’s seven notes, which is why songs change key to them so often.

Frequently asked questions

What chords are in the key of B minor?

Bm (i), C♯dim (ii°), D (III), Em (iv), F♯m (v), G (VI), A (VII). They are the seven chords you get by stacking thirds on each note of the B minor scale — B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A — using only notes of that scale. Songs in B minor also use F♯7, the major dominant, which borrows one note from outside it.

What are the three main chords in B minor?

Bm, Em and F♯m — the chords on the first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. Bm is home, Em moves away from it and F♯m pulls back. A great many songs use only these three.

What is the relative major of B minor?

D major. The two keys share all seven notes and all seven chords, in a different order: what is III in B minor is the home chord of D major. A song can move between them without any chord sounding out of place.

Is B minor an easy key on guitar?

2 of its six everyday chords — Bm and F♯m — need a barre or four fingers on guitar. The usual way round that is a capo at the 2nd fret, playing the chord shapes of A minor.

Guitar Chords in the Key of B Minor