B Major Chord
B major contains B, D sharp and F sharp. It is the resting point in B major and the chord that pulls back to E in E major. Try it in both loops below and hear how its job changes.
- Notes: B-D sharp-F sharp
- Symbol: B
- Home chord of B major
- Leads to E
B
How to play a B major chord
Notes: B - D# - F#B
Root position
B - D# - F#1st inversion
D# - F# - B2nd inversion
F# - B - D#
Where does B major belong?
All three notes come from the B major scale, so B major is the home chord of that key.
Press play on the role cards to hear the same chord do different jobs elsewhere; Diatonic Chords explains the numbered roles.
- HomeI
A song in B major keeps coming back to this chord.
EF#BI - TensionV
It pulls back to E: D sharp wants to rise one half step to E.
EABVE - A step awayIV
A warm move away from F#, softer than the V that follows.
F#BIVC#F# - Minor-key dominantV
Harmonic minor raises the third to D sharp, so Em sounds truly finished.
EmAmBVEm
Progressions to try
- BEF#B
I-IV-V-I in B major makes the final B a clear return.
- BF#G#mE
The I-V-vi-IV loop steps into G# minor before E turns it around.
- EABE
B is V in E major; the final E answers it.
- EmAmBEm
B is the major V in E minor, and D sharp points up to E.
Which shape should you use?
On guitar, Use x24442 at the 2nd fret when you want the chord near open-position neighbors; 799877 moves it to the 7th fret.
On ukulele, 4322 is a compact lower grip; 8676 shifts B higher.
On piano, choose the first inversion when coming from the nearby chord E-G sharp-B. Play B as D sharp-F sharp-B: B stays in place while E moves to D sharp and G sharp moves to F sharp.
What are the inversions?
B is the root. D sharp is the major third, four semitones above it; F sharp is the fifth, seven semitones above it.
- Root position: B-D sharp-F sharp, with B lowest.
- First inversion: D sharp-F sharp-B, written B/D# when D sharp is the lowest note.
- Second inversion: F sharp-B-D sharp, written B/F# when F sharp is the lowest note.
A separate bass instrument can change the lowest note even when the right hand plays an inversion. Chord Inversions explains what the slash tells the player.
How does B minor differ?
Keep B and F sharp; lower only D sharp to D. The result is B-D-F sharp, the B minor chord. Use the comparer to hear that single change before judging the whole sound.
B
B - D# - F#Bm
B - D - F#