Understand and Play the Bmaj Chord on Guitar
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Three voicings of the B major chord are listed here, all played from the 2nd fret or higher, and two of them are barre shapes. The chord is spelled B, D# and F#.
B is the I chord of B major, the IV chord of F# major and the V chord of E major. The distance between its notes is easiest to see through intervals on the fretboard: a major third from B to D#, then a minor third up to F#. The B major scale contains all three notes.
With barre shapes it is easy to mute a string without noticing, so use the microphone in the player at the top to check that every string sounds.
B major guitar chord is also written as B, Bmaj, BM or BΔ.
Notes that compose the B maj chord:
Formula of the Major chord:
Formula: 1 3 5
B Maj Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the A string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 4 of the D, G and B strings at the same time
Position 2 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the low E, B and high E strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the A string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 9 of the D string
Position 3 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the D string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 11 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 11 of the high E string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 12 of the B string
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What notes does B major contain?
B major contains B, D# and F#. D# is the major third, four semitones up from B, and F# is the perfect fifth, seven semitones up.
How many B major voicings are there?
B major has 3 voicings: 2 use a barre and none use open strings. The highest one reaches the 12th fret.
In which keys does B major serve as a main chord?
B major is the I chord of B major, the IV chord of F# major and the V chord of E major. All three notes belong to each of these scales.
Which scale fits B major?
The B major scale: B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#. It contains the root, major third and fifth of the chord.
Why is the third of B major spelled D#?
The third must use the letter D, since the chord is built from B, D and F. D# is four semitones up from B, so the spelling is B, D#, F#.
