Guitar chord · Barre shape · Standard tuning
B minor guitar chord (Bm)
4 fingers, 5 strings, chart notation x24432. Tap the chord chart to hear it strummed, then arpeggio it to check every note is ringing cleanly.
All the strings in one sweep, low to high — how the chord sounds in a song.
- Strings, low to high
- B · F♯ · B · D · F♯
- Chord tones
- B R · D b3 · F♯ 5
How to play Bm
Finger numbers run 1 for the index to 4 for the little finger. String names are given as players say them — the low E is the thickest string (the 6th) and the high E is the thinnest (the 1st).
- 1st finger (index) — lies flat across the 2nd fret, covering 5 strings, from the A string up to the high E string
- 2nd finger (middle) — 3rd fret, B string
- 3rd finger (ring) — 4th fret, D string
- 4th finger (little) — 4th fret, G string
- Leave out: low E (6th) — start the strum below it, or damp it with the side of the thumb.
- Barre: 2nd fret, strings 5 down to 1. Place the other fingers first and add the barre last.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note it sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th — low E | Not played | — | × |
| 5th — A | 2nd fret | 1 (index) | B |
| 4th — D | 4th fret | 3 (ring) | F♯ |
| 3rd — G | 4th fret | 4 (little) | B |
| 2nd — B | 3rd fret | 2 (middle) | D |
| 1st — high E | 2nd fret | 1 (index) | F♯ |
Notes and intervals in Bm
Bm is built from 3 notes: B, D and F♯.
- B — the root (R)
- D — the minor 3rd (b3)
- F♯ — the perfect 5th (5)
Across the six strings the shape sounds B · F♯ · B · D · F♯ from low to high, so some notes are doubled in different octaves — that is what gives an open guitar chord its width compared with the same chord on a keyboard.
What Bm is used for
B minor is the A-minor shape lifted two frets, with the index finger doing the nut's job. It is the ii chord in A major and the vi in D major, so it becomes unavoidable the moment you leave the open-chord keys — and it is where most players meet the barre. The barre itself only has to press the 5th and 1st strings; the three in the middle are covered by the other fingers.
Common mistakes with Bm
- Barring with the soft pad of the index finger. Roll it slightly onto its bony outside edge so the strings do not fall into the crease of the joint.
- Pulling with the arm instead of squeezing. Bring the elbow in and put the thumb behind the middle of the neck — with the thumb hooked over the top the barre cannot straighten out.
- Sounding the low E string. This shape has no 6th-string note, so let the tip of the index finger rest against it to keep it quiet.
Guitar chord data last updated . Every diagram here, in the printable PDF and in the chart image comes from one dataset, so the paper and the screen cannot disagree.