Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger flat across the top 3 strings, from the C string up at the 2nd fret — the barre.
- Middle finger on the 4th fret of the G string (4th).
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | fret 4 | middle | B4 | root |
| 3rd (C) | fret 2 | index | D4 | minor third |
| 2nd (E) | fret 2 | index | F♯4 | fifth |
| 1st (A) | fret 2 | index | B4 | root |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
Another way to play Bm
The same 3 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 7675A shape at the 5th fret · four fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
4225 is Bm without the full barre — fewer strings, the same chord. It is a real voicing, not a cheat, and plenty of players keep using it.
Or use a capo: clamp it at the 2nd fret and play the Am shape. Every string is raised 2 semitones, so that open shape now sounds Bm.
Holding it cleanly
The barre is the hard part. Lay the index finger just behind the 2nd fret, roll it slightly onto its bony outer edge, and keep the thumb behind the neck opposite it. Pluck the barred strings one at a time: a buzz or a dead string means the finger is not flat there yet.
The notes in Bm
A minor chord is built from the root (1), ♭3 and 5 of its root’s major scale. From B that gives B – D – F♯. The major chord with its middle note lowered a semitone: darker, and just as stable.
The same root, other chords: B major, B7, Bmaj7, Bm7, Bsus2, Bsus4, Bdim, Baug.
Keys that use Bm
Bm is built from the notes of 6 keys. Each link is that key’s full set of ukulele chords — the ones that sound right next to this one.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Bm chord?
B minor is three notes: B – D – F♯ — the root, ♭3 and 5 of the B major scale. On ukulele the shape 4222 sounds B4, D4, F♯4 and B4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Bm on ukulele?
The usual shape is 4222 — a barre chord at the 2nd fret, with a barre at the 2nd fret and one more finger. If that is out of reach for now, 4225 is the same chord without the full barre. Or put a capo on the 2nd fret and play the Am shape, which then sounds Bm.
What is the difference between Bm and B?
One note. Bm has a minor third (D); B raises it a semitone. That single fret is the whole difference between the two sounds.
What keys is Bm in?
Bm is one of the seven chords of D major (as vi), G major (as iii), A major (as ii), B minor (as i), E minor (as v) and F♯ minor (as iv).