Bm is usually the first chord a song asks for that has no friendly open version. You meet it in the key of D, right after D, A and G, and it expects a barre at the second fret. The way through is not to force the barre on day one. Build the chord in layers: three strings, then four, then the bass note, then the barre. Every layer is a real B minor, so you can play songs from the first one while the next one settles in.
Bm chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: B minor
- Symbol: Bm
- Notes: B, D, F#
- Where it belongs: vi in D major, iii in G major, ii in A major, iv in F# minor, i in B 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bm, three strings | xx443x | F# B D | The way in: B, D and F# with no barre. F# sits in the bass, so it sounds lighter than the full chord. |
| Bm, four strings | xx4432 | F# B D F# | The easy Bm most players use for months. Complete, no barre, top four strings only. |
| Bm, with the B bass | x2443x | B F# B D | Adds B on the fifth string, so the chord stands on its root. The first finger is already where the barre will go. |
| Bm, barre | x24432 | B F# B D F# | The standard B minor: the A minor shape moved up two frets, with the first finger as the nut. |
| Bm, seventh fret | 799777 | B F# B D F# B | The E minor shape barred at the seventh fret. All six strings, and an easier barre than the second fret. |
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.
Bm on the neck: every B, D, F#
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Bm: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Bm.
How to play Bm, one layer at a time
The four shapes below are one hand position growing. The third and fourth fingers sit at the fourth fret from the start, the second finger at the third, and only the first finger changes job as you go.
1. Three strings: xx443x
Second finger on the fourth string (D) at fret 4, third finger on the third string (G) at fret 4, first finger on the second string (B) at fret 3. Strum only those three strings. You hear F#, B and D: a complete B minor, with F# as its lowest note.
2. Four strings: xx4432
Now regroup the fingers the way the barre will want them. First finger on the high E at fret 2, second finger on the B string at fret 3, third finger on the D string at fret 4, fourth finger on the G string at fret 4. Strum the top four strings. This is the shape to stay on while you learn songs.
3. Add the bass: x2443x
Move the first finger to the fifth string (A) at fret 2. That note is B, the root, and the chord suddenly sounds anchored. The high E is not played here: the first finger is not lying flat yet.
4. The barre: x24432
Lay the first finger flat from the fifth string to the first at fret 2. It only needs to press two notes: B on the fifth string and F# on the first. The strings in between are covered by the other fingers, so the middle of the index can be a little lazy. Keep the low E silent, either by not strumming it or by touching it lightly with the tip of the first finger.
Why your Bm sounds wrong, and the fix
A bad Bm is rarely a strength problem. It is placement, and each symptom points to its own cause.
| What you hear | Likely cause | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| The high E is muffled | The first finger is too far from the fret, or a crease lands on the string | Slide it right up behind the fret wire and roll it slightly onto its bony edge. |
| The second string dies | The fourth finger leans on it | Arch the fourth finger and press with its very tip. |
| The hand tires after a few bars | Thumb too high, wrist bent hard | Thumb behind the neck, roughly opposite the second finger: pinch, do not squeeze. |
| The chord arrives late | All four fingers land one by one | Lead with the fourth finger, which carries the shape, and let the others follow. |
| A low growl under the chord | The open low E rings, and E is not in B minor | Aim the strum at the fifth string, or rest the first fingertip on the low E. |
Getting in and out of Bm
Bm rarely comes alone. These are the changes it turns up in most, written the same way as the shapes above. Practice each pair slowly, four beats per chord, before you speed up.
| Change | Shapes | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| D, A, Bm, G | xx0232, x02220, x2443x, 320003 | The I V vi IV of D major. Use x2443x or xx4432 until the barre is on time. |
| A to Bm | x02220 to x24432 | Both shapes live around frets 2 to 4. Move the hand as a block, do not lift each finger high. |
| G to Bm | 320003 to xx4432 | The longest move of the four. Look at fret 4 before you leave G. |
| Bm to F# | x24432 to 244322 | The i to V of B minor, and two barres in a row. Start with the power chords x244xx and 244xxx. |
Where Bm shows up
B minor belongs to several of the keys guitarists use most, which is why you cannot avoid it for long:
- Key of D: Bm is the vi chord, the relative minor. D, A, Bm, G is one of the most played progressions there is.
- Key of A: Bm is the ii chord, the one that leads to E.
- Key of G: Bm is the iii chord.
- Key of B minor: Bm is home, the i chord.
To hear it in context: U2's With or Without You turns on D, A, Bm and G; Sting's Englishman in New York uses Bm alongside Em, A and D; Bob Marley's Could You Be Loved sits on Bm, D and G. Every chord of every key is laid out on the chords in every key page, and Bm's neighbor in the key of G, the D/F# chord, has its own page.
Bm7 and B5: useful, but not the same chord
Two shapes are often offered as an easy Bm. Both are fine to know, as long as you know what they change.
Bm7, x20202. Fifth string at fret 2 (B), fourth string open (D), third string at fret 2 (A), second string open (B), first string at fret 2 (F#). The A is the extra note: B, D, F# and A make a B minor seventh. It is softer and more open, and in a strummed pop or folk song it often fits where Bm is written. When the melody leans on the plain minor sound, it can blur things, so play the bar both ways and listen.
B5, x244xx. B, F# and B again. There is no D, so no third, so the chord is neither minor nor major. With distortion it is the right choice; on an acoustic in a song that wants B minor, it leaves a hole where the sadness should be.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play a Bm chord on guitar?
What is the easiest way to play B minor?
What notes are in a B minor chord?
Can I play Bm7 instead of Bm?
Why does my Bm chord buzz?
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.