How to Play the Bm Chord on Guitar
To play the Bm chord, lay your index finger across the A, D, G, B and high E strings at the 2nd fret, put your middle finger on the 3rd fret of the B string, your ring finger on the 4th fret of the D string and your pinky on the 4th fret of the G string, then strum the top five strings, skipping the low E.
The Bm chord is B minor, spelled B, D and F#. The page lists 13 voicings between the 2nd and 16th frets: six barre shapes, two with open strings and the rest in between.
Bm is the vi chord in D major, the ii chord in A major and the iii chord in G major. Barre shapes mute strings easily when the grip is not clean, so a check by ear helps; the microphone option in the player at the top reports whether each string sounds. The B minor scale contains all three notes.
B minor guitar chord is also written as Bm, Bmin, B- or Bmi.
Bm Chord Notes and Formula
Notes that compose the B m chord:
Chord Structure:
Formula: 1 b3 5
Bm Chord Interactive Fretboard
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Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.
Bm Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Barre Movable
B Minor Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the A and high E strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the B string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 4 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 4 of the G string
Position 2 Barre Movable
B Minor Finger Positions
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the low E, G, B and high E strings at the same time
- 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
B Minor 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 10 of the high E string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 11 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 12 of the B string
Position 4 Movable Slash Chord
B/F# Minor Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the high E string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the B string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 4 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 4 of the G string
The lowest note is F#, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord Bm/F#.
Position 5 Movable
B Minor 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 middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the B string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 4 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 4 of the G string
Position 6 Movable Slash Chord
B/D Minor Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the high E string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 11 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 12 of the B string
The lowest note is D, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord Bm/D.
Position 7 Barre Movable
B Minor Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 14 of the A and high E strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 15 of the B string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 16 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 16 of the G string
Position 8 Barre Movable Slash Chord
B/F# Minor Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the G, B and high E strings at the same time
- 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
The lowest note is F#, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord Bm/F#.
Position 9 Barre Movable
B Minor Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the G, B and high E strings at the same time
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the D string
Position 10 Movable
B Minor Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Mute the D string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the high E string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the B string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 4 of the G string
Position 11 Open
B Minor Finger Positions
- Mute the A string
- Let the D string play without pressing any fret
- Mute the B string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the low E string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the G string
Position 12 Open
B Minor Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Let the D string play without pressing any fret
- Mute the G string
- Mute the B string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the A string
Position 13 Barre Movable
B Minor Finger Positions
- Mute the A string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the low E, G and B strings at the same time
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the D string
Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you
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Chords That Go With Bm
One key where Bm fits is D major, where it works as the vi chord. These are the main chords of that key, the ones you will often hear around it:
See every key in the guitar keys chart, or build a progression with these chords in the chord progression generator.
More B Chords
Want to know how this chord is built? Read major and minor triads, or browse all B guitar chords.
Play This Chord With Other Roots
C m | D m | E m | F m | G m | A m | B m | C#m | D#m | F#m | G#m | A#m | Abm | Bbm | Dbm | Ebm | Gbm
The B Minor Chord | Full Tutorial
The B minor chord, commonly abbreviated as "Bm" in tablature and sheet music, is a fundamental chord in the guitar world.
Its significance lies in its versatility and frequent appearance in various music genres.
Understanding and mastering the Bm chord is crucial for guitarists, particularly because it is a staple in many chord progressions, especially in the keys of G, A and D - three of the most commonly used keys in guitar music.
Playing The B Minor Chord
Easy Version
For newcomers, a three-finger version of Bm is recommended:
- Ring finger on the 4th fret of the G (3rd) string
- Middle finger on the 3rd fret of the B (2nd) string
- Index finger on the 2nd fret of the E (1st) string
- Strum from the G string down, focusing on the top three strings.
Common Version (Barre Chord)
The more prevalent version of Bm is a barre chord.
Transitioning from simpler versions to the full barre chord is a journey.
Start by mastering the positioning and pressure required for barring, then integrate the other fingers.- Index finger across the 2nd fret (excluding the low E string)
- Middle finger on the 3rd fret of the B (2nd) string
- Ring finger on the 4th fret of the D (4th) string
- Pinky finger on the 4th fret of the G (3rd) string
- Strum from the A string down, ensuring to mute the low E string.
Barre Version in 7th Position
Another barred version, easier due to closer frets, is played in the 7th position:
- Index finger barring the 7th fret (from the low E to the high E string)
- Ring finger on the 9th fret of the A (5th) string
- Pinky finger on the 9th fret of the D (4th) string
Songs With The B Minor Chord
In rock music, the Bm chord has made its mark. Classic examples include Warrant's "Heaven" and Tesla's "Love Song."
These tracks showcase the chord's versatility and its role in defining the sound of rock ballads.
Hotel California begins with a B minor chord and probably is the most popular song in this key.
Also Money by Pink Floyd and Fade to Black by Metallica are in this key.
Country music also embraces Bm. Hits like "All My Ex's Live in Texas" by George Strait and "Always on My Mind" by Willie Nelson heavily feature the Bm, demonstrating its emotional depth in country storytelling.
B Minor Key | Chord Chart
Here below are the chords of the keys of B minor, in which our Bm chord is the root of the key.
Common Keys With The B Minor Chord
Here below you find the most used keys that contain the B minor chord.
G Major Key
In the key of G major, the B minor chord is the 3rd degree, so it has the function of Mediant.
A Major Key
In the key of A major, the B minor chord is the Supertonic (2nd degree)
D Major Key
In the key of D major, you find the B minor chord on the 6th degree, also called Submediant, or relative minor. In fact, the relative minor key of D major is B minor.
That''s all, to learn more about guitar chords, check my complete ebook Chords Domination | Play Any Chord You Want Across All The Fretboard.
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What notes make up Bm?
B, D and F#. D is the minor third, three semitones from B, and F# is the perfect fifth.
Which keys have Bm as a diatonic chord?
Bm is the vi chord in D major, the ii chord in A major and the iii chord in G major. It is the i chord in B minor.
How many ways are there to play Bm on guitar?
There are thirteen voicings, two with open strings and six using a barre. They span fret 2 to fret 16.
How is B minor different from B major?
B major is B, D# and F#. B minor lowers the third from D# to D, which makes the chord minor.
Which scale goes with B minor?
The B minor scale: B, C#, D, E, F#, G and A. It contains all three notes of Bm.
