All chords › B

B Guitar Chords

51 chord types built on B, from the plain triad through to the extended and altered shapes — 452 playable voicings in total, every one with its fingering marked.

50% of the B shapes here (224 of 452) let at least one string ring open, so a lot of them sound fuller than the barre versions and are easier to hold. As a key centre, B is the I chord; it also turns up as the IV of E and the V of F#.

The five you will reach for first

The five shapes every player meets first: the plain major and minor triads, the power chord, and the two triads that alter the fifth. Between them these 5 chords account for 86 of the 452 B shapes on this site.

Jump to: B · Bm · B5 · Baug · Bdim

B

BEbF#
15 shapes · open & play
X
O
2
1
4
3
X
X
O
2
1
3
X
1
2
3
4
1
X
X
1
3
4
2
X
X
4
4
1
1
1
X
X
6
2
1
3
4
7
1
3
4
2
1
1
X
X
7
3
2
1
1
X
X
X
7
3
2
1
X
X
O
9
1
3
4
X
O
11
4
3
1
2
X
X
X
11
4
1
2
X
11
4
3
1
2
1
X
X
12
3
2
1
4
X
X
X
13
2
1
3

B turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of B major, V of E major, IV of F# major, VI of Eb minor, III of G# minor, VII of C# minor.

Progressions that actually use it: I – V – vi – IV (B major), I – vi – IV – V (B major), I – IV – V (B major), I – IV – iv – I (B major).

Fret and finger numbers for B
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 2 1 4 0 2– 2 1 4 – 3
X 2 1 X 0 2– 2 1 – – 3
X 2 4 4 4 2– 1 2 3 4 1
X 2 X 4 4 2– 1 – 3 4 2
7 X 4 4 4 X4 – 1 1 1 –
7 6 X X 7 72 1 – – 3 4
7 9 9 8 7 71 3 4 2 1 1
X X 9 8 7 7– – 3 2 1 1
X X 9 8 7 X– – 3 2 1 –
X X 9 11 0 11– – 1 3 – 4
X 14 13 11 0 11– 4 3 1 – 2
X 14 X 11 X 11– 4 – 1 – 2
X 14 13 11 12 11– 4 3 1 2 1
X 14 13 X 12 14– 3 2 – 1 4
X 14 13 X X 14– 2 1 – – 3

Bm

BDF#
15 shapes · open & play
X
O
X
O
1
2
X
O
O
1
3
2
X
O
1
4
3
2
X
1
3
4
2
1
X
X
1
3
4
2
O
5
2
1
3
3
3
O
O
7
1
4
2
3
O
O
7
1
3
2
4
7
1
3
4
1
1
1
7
1
2
3
1
1
4
X
X
7
3
1
1
1
X
X
7
3
1
1
4
X
X
X
7
3
1
1
X
X
O
9
1
3
2
X
O
O
X
11
4
1

Bm turns up as the i, v, iv, vi chord across 6 keys: i of B minor, v of E minor, iv of F# minor, vi of D major, ii of A major, iii of G major.

Progressions that actually use it: i – VI – III – VII (B minor), i – iv – v (B minor), i – iv – V7 – i (B minor), i – VII – VI – V (B minor).

Fret and finger numbers for Bm
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 2 0 X 0 2– 1 – – – 2
X 2 0 4 0 2– 1 – 3 – 2
X 2 0 4 3 2– 1 – 4 3 2
X 2 4 4 3 2– 1 3 4 2 1
X 2 4 4 3 X– 1 3 4 2 –
7 5 0 7 7 72 1 – 3 3 3
7 9 0 7 0 71 4 – 2 – 3
7 9 0 7 0 101 3 – 2 – 4
7 9 9 7 7 71 3 4 1 1 1
7 9 9 7 7 101 2 3 1 1 4
X X 9 7 7 7– – 3 1 1 1
X X 9 7 7 10– – 3 1 1 4
X X 9 7 7 X– – 3 1 1 –
X X 9 11 0 10– – 1 3 – 2
X 14 0 11 0 X– 4 – 1 – –

B5

BF#
14 shapes · open & play
X
O
X
1
3
4
X
O
1
3
4
2
X
X
X
O
1
2
X
O
X
4
4
1
1
X
X
X
4
1
3
4
X
O
7
1
3
4
2
X
X
7
1
4
2
3
X
X
X
7
1
2
3
X
X
X
X
7
1
3
X
X
X
X
7
3
1
X
X
O
X
9
1
3
X
X
X
9
1
3
4
X
X
O
X
11
4
1
X
X
X
12
3
1
4

B5 fits 12 of the twenty-four major and minor keys — a chord this open leaves most of the scale untouched. These are the 6 where it carries the weight, as the I, IV or V: I of B major, i of B minor, V of E major, v of E minor, IV of F# major, iv of F# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for B5
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 2 4 4 0 X– 1 3 4 – –
X 2 4 4 0 2– 1 3 4 – 2
X 2 X X 0 2– 1 – – – 2
7 X 4 4 0 X4 – 1 1 – –
X X X 4 7 7– – – 1 3 4
7 9 9 X 0 71 3 4 – – 2
7 X 9 X 7 71 – 4 – 2 3
7 X X X 7 71 – – – 2 3
7 9 X X X X1 3 – – – –
X X 9 X 7 X– – 3 – 1 –
X X 9 11 0 X– – 1 3 – –
X X 9 11 12 X– – 1 3 4 –
X 14 X 11 0 X– 4 – 1 – –
X 14 X X 12 14– 3 – – 1 4

Baug

BEbG
22 shapes · open & play
X
O
O
X
2
1
X
O
2
1
4
3
X
O
2
1
4
3
X
X
X
2
1
3
X
O
2
1
4
3
2
X
X
1
3
4
2
X
X
O
X
4
4
1
O
O
X
5
3
2
1
O
O
5
3
2
1
4
X
O
O
X
6
2
1
O
O
6
2
1
4
3
X
X
X
7
1
2
3
X
X
7
4
2
3
1
X
X
O
8
2
1
4
X
X
8
2
1
1
4
X
X
X
8
2
1
1
X
X
O
O
9
1
3
X
X
O
9
1
4
3
X
X
O
9
1
4
3
X
X
9
1
3
4
2
X
X
O
O
11
4
1
X
X
12
3
2
1
1

Baug — The fifth is raised, which puts a note outside every major and minor key. It almost always appears on the way somewhere — holding a major chord for a moment while the top voice climbs toward the next one.

Fret and finger numbers for Baug
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 2 1 0 0 X– 2 1 – – –
X 2 1 4 0 3– 2 1 4 – 3
X 2 1 0 4 3– 2 1 – 4 3
X 2 1 X X 3– 2 1 – – 3
X 2 5 0 4 3– 1 4 – 3 2
X 2 X 4 4 3– 1 – 3 4 2
7 X X 0 4 X4 – – – 1 –
7 6 5 0 0 X3 2 1 – – –
7 6 5 0 0 73 2 1 – – 4
7 6 X 0 0 X2 1 – – – –
7 6 9 0 0 72 1 4 – – 3
7 X X 8 8 X1 – – 2 3 –
X X 9 8 8 7– – 4 2 3 1
X X 9 0 8 11– – 2 – 1 4
X X 9 8 8 11– – 2 1 1 4
X X 9 8 8 X– – 2 1 1 –
X X 9 0 0 11– – 1 – – 3
X X 9 12 0 11– – 1 4 – 3
X X 9 0 12 11– – 1 – 4 3
X X 9 12 12 11– – 1 3 4 2
X 14 X 0 0 11– 4 – – – 1
X 14 13 12 12 X– 3 2 1 1 –

Bdim

BDF
20 shapes · open & play
X
O
X
O
2
1
X
O
O
2
4
1
X
O
2
4
3
1
X
O
X
2
3
1
X
X
2
3
4
1
X
X
1
2
4
3
X
O
X
4
4
1
3
O
X
X
5
3
1
2
X
X
X
6
2
3
1
X
X
X
6
4
2
1
O
X
O
X
7
1
2
X
O
O
7
1
4
2
O
O
7
1
4
2
3
O
7
1
2
3
1
4
X
X
O
9
1
2
3
X
X
9
1
2
4
3
X
O
X
12
3
1
2
X
X
O
12
3
1
2
X
X
12
4
1
2
3
X
X
12
3
1
4
2

Bdim is the ii° and the vii° chord of A minor and C major.

Fret and finger numbers for Bdim
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 2 0 X 0 1– 2 – – – 1
X 2 0 4 0 1– 2 – 4 – 1
X 2 0 4 3 1– 2 – 4 3 1
X 2 0 X 3 1– 2 – – 3 1
X 2 3 X 3 1– 2 3 – 4 1
X 2 3 4 3 X– 1 2 4 3 –
7 X 0 4 6 X4 – – 1 3 –
7 5 0 X 6 X3 1 – – 2 –
7 X X 7 6 X2 – – 3 1 –
X X 9 7 6 X– – 4 2 1 –
7 8 0 X 0 X1 2 – – – –
7 X 0 10 0 71 – – 4 – 2
7 8 0 7 0 71 4 – 2 – 3
7 8 9 7 0 101 2 3 1 – 4
X X 9 10 0 10– – 1 2 – 3
X X 9 10 12 10– – 1 2 4 3
X 14 0 X 12 13– 3 – – 1 2
X 14 12 X 0 13– 3 1 – – 2
X 14 12 X 12 13– 4 1 – 2 3
X 14 12 X 15 13– 3 1 – 4 2

The rest of the B chords

B Major-family chords

9 chord types · 56 shapes

Bmaj7 · Badd9 · B6 · Bmaj9 · Bmaj11 · Bmaj13 · B6/9 · Bmaj7add11 · Bmaj7add13

B Minor-family chords

14 chord types · 91 shapes

Bm7 · Bm6 · Bm6/9 · Bm(maj7) · Bm7add11 · Bm(maj7)add11 · Bm7add13 · Bm(maj7)add13 · Bm(add9) · Bm9 · Bm(maj9) · Bm11 · Bm(maj11) · Bm13

B Dominant chords

6 chord types · 34 shapes

B7 · B9 · B11 · B13 · B7add11 · B7add13

B Suspended & Altered chords

17 chord types · 185 shapes

Bsus2 · Bsus4 · B7sus4 · Bmaj7sus4 · B7sus2 · Bmaj7sus2 · B6sus4 · B6sus2 · Bm7b5 · Bm7#5 · Bdim7 · B7b9 · B7#9 · B7b5 · Baug7 · Baug7b9 · Bm7b9

Every chord above has an open & play link that opens it in the interactive dictionary, where you can hear it and step through the shapes. You can also work backwards from a shape you are already holding.