B Guitar Chord
B Major · B–D#–F#
B is the B major chord: B–D#–F#. Its sound is bright and resolved — the foundational happy sound of pop, rock, country, and folk.
You'll meet B constantly because it lives in several common keys: it's the I chord in B major, the IV chord in F# major, and the V chord in E major. That makes it a building block of I–IV–V and I–V–vi–IV progressions in those keys.
The most common way to play B is the a-shape barre at the 2nd fret (x 2 4 4 4 2, low E string to high E string). Below you'll find 6 ways to play it across the neck, from open position to barre and shell voicings, with the theory behind the chord and the progressions it lives in.
How to Play B: 6 Voicings
Frets are listed from the low E string to the high E string. x = don't play that string, 0 = open string.
B Chord Theory
| Interval | R | 3 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Note | B | D# | F# |
B is built from the B major scale.
B Chord FAQ
What notes are in the B chord?
B contains 3 notes: B (R), D# (3), F# (5). The interval formula for a major chord is R–3–5.
What is the easiest way to play B on guitar?
Use the a-shape barre at the 2nd fret: x 2 4 4 4 2 (frets listed from the low E string to the high E string, x = don't play that string). B has no open-position shape in standard tuning, so this movable form is the standard starting point.
What is the difference between B and Bm?
One note: the 3rd. B major uses the major 3rd (Eb) while B minor flattens it to D. That half-step is the entire difference between the bright major sound and the darker minor sound.
What keys use the B chord?
B appears diatonically in B major (as I), F# major (as IV), and E major (as V) — plus Ab minor, its relative minor key.
Related Chords
Hear yourself play B
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