B major is the chord that stops many beginners in the key of E. E and A are open and friendly, then the song asks for B, the V chord, and there is no open shape for it. The way in is the same as for every A shape chord: take the A major you already know, move it up two frets, and add the root. You can play a real B major on three strings today and grow it into the full barre.
B chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: B major
- Symbol: B
- Notes: B, D#, F#
- Where it belongs: V in E major, IV in F# major, I in B major, VII in C# minor, VI in D# minor, V in E minor, III in G# minor
Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a
number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you
do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.
| Shape | Frets, low E to high E | Notes, low to high | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| B, three strings | xx444x | F# B D# | B major with no barre: F#, B and D# on the middle strings. F# is the lowest note, so it sounds light. |
| B, with the root | x2444x | B F# B D# | Adds B on the fifth string. The A major shape moved up two frets, with the first finger as the nut. |
| B, barre | x24442 | B F# B D# F# | The standard B major: third finger flat across three strings, first finger barring fret 2 for the high F#. |
| B, seventh fret | 799877 | B F# B D# F# B | The E major shape barred at the seventh fret. All six strings and a fuller, rock friendly sound. |
Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.
B on the neck: every B, D#, F#
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of B: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still B.
How to play B, step by step
1. Start from A
Play an open A (x02220) with the second, third and fourth fingers on the D, G and B strings, instead of the first, second and third. That fingering looks odd, and it is the whole trick: it leaves the first finger free.
2. Move it up: xx444x
Slide those three fingers up to fret 4. Strum only the D, G and B strings. You hear F#, B and D#: B major, light but complete.
3. Add the root: x2444x
Put the first finger on the fifth string at fret 2. That is B, and the chord now stands on its root. Leave the high E out.
4. The barre: x24442
Lay the first finger flat across the top five strings at fret 2, so the high E sounds F#. Most players then swap the three fingers at fret 4 for the third finger alone, lying flat across the D, G and B strings, with its middle joint lifted so the high E still rings under it. If your finger will not bend that way, keep three separate fingers and accept a quieter high E: x2444x is a perfectly good B.
Getting in and out of B
| Change | Shapes | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| A to B | x02220 to x2444x | Finger A with 2, 3, 4 and the move is a slide plus one finger. |
| E, A, B | 022100, x02220, x2444x | I, IV, V of E: the blues and rock backbone. Keep the strum going even if B is late at first. |
| B to F# | x24442 to 244322 | I to V in B major, two barres in a row. Start with the power chords x244xx and 244xxx. |
| G, B, C | 320003, x24442, x32010 | B as the major III, borrowed. The jump from G is the long one: look at fret 4 before you leave. |
Where B shows up
B is the V chord of E major and of E minor (with the major V borrowed from harmonic minor), which is why it appears in so many blues, rock and folk songs in E. It is also the IV of F# and home in B major.
To hear it: Radiohead's Creep loops G, B, C and Cm, and the B is the chord that makes that loop sound strange. In Sweet Home Chicago (E, A, B) and the Rolling Stones' Paint It Black (Em, B, G, D, A), it is the V; many chord sheets write B7 there instead, which works too. The open E and A pages cover the other two chords of the blues trio.
B7 and B5: close, but not the same chord
B7, x21202. B, D#, A, B and F#. The A is the extra note, the seventh. It is an open shape and a natural V7 in E, so in a blues it is often the better choice. In a song where B major should sound bright and settled, the A gives it away.
B5, x244xx. B, F# and B. No D#, so no third: the chord is neither major nor minor. With distortion it is the right call; on an acoustic song that wants B major, it leaves a hole. The power chords page covers the shape on every root.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play a B chord on guitar?
What is the easiest way to play a B major chord?
What notes are in a B major chord?
Can I play B7 instead of B?
Why does my high E string not ring on the B chord?
Who made this
Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.
More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.