Guitar · key of B major

Chords in the key of B major

The seven chords in the key of B major are B, C♯m, D♯m, E, F♯, G♯m and A♯dim. B, E and F♯ are the major chords (I, IV and V), C♯m, D♯m and G♯m are the minor chords (ii, iii and vi), and A♯dim is diminished (vii°). Its relative minor is G♯ minor, which uses the same seven chords. The same key is sometimes written C♭ major.

Key

Scale

The chords of B major
Numeral	Triad	Notes	Seventh chord	Notes	Number	Role
I	Bhome	B D♯ F♯	Bmaj7home	B D♯ F♯ A♯	1	tonic
ii	C♯mrestless	C♯ E G♯	C♯m7restless	C♯ E G♯ B	2m	supertonic
iii	D♯mhalf-light	D♯ F♯ A♯	D♯m7half-light	D♯ F♯ A♯ C♯	3m	mediant
IV	Ethe door	E G♯ B	Emaj7the door	E G♯ B D♯	4	subdominant
V	F♯the pull	F♯ A♯ C♯	F♯7the pull	F♯ A♯ C♯ E	5	dominant
vi	G♯mthe shadow	G♯ B D♯	G♯m7the shadow	G♯ B D♯ F♯	6m	submediant
vii°	A♯dimthe edge	A♯ C♯ E	A♯m7♭5the edge	A♯ C♯ E G♯	7°	leading tone

Sound

Strum or arpeggiate any chord, tap a note to hear it, drag the strip under a picture to play it further up the neck, or pick another inversion. Library opens the chord there, with every other way to play it.

B

LibraryStandard

I · tonic

C♯m

LibraryStandard

ii · supertonic

D♯m

LibraryStandard

iii · mediant

E

LibraryFamousStandard

IV · subdominant

F♯

LibraryFamousStandard

V · dominant

G♯m

LibraryStandard

vi · submediant

A♯dim

LibraryStandard

vii° · leading tone

Chord progressions in B major

Press a chord to hear it and see its shape, or Play to hear the progression on guitar. The colours say what each chord does in the key.

Sound Pattern Tempo85

↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.

Colours

homethe pullthe doorthe shadowrestlesshalf-light

What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.

The three-chord trick

I | IV | V | I

Key Chord chart

The chords of countless folk, country, blues and rock and roll songs.

The pop progression

I | V | vi | IV

Key Chord chart

I–V–vi–IV, behind a great many hits since the 1980s.

The fifties progression

I | vi | IV | V

Key Chord chart

I–vi–IV–V, the doo-wop changes.

The pop progression from its minor chord

vi | IV | I | V

Key Chord chart

vi–IV–I–V: the pop progression started on its minor chord, which gives it a sadder sound.

The royal road

IV | V | iii | vi

Key Chord chart

IV–V–iii–vi, a favourite of Japanese pop.

ii–V–I

ii7 | V7 | Imaj7 | Imaj7

Key Chord chart

The turnaround of jazz, in seventh chords.

The relative minor: G♯ minor

G♯ minor has the same notes and the same seven chords as B major, starting from G♯. A song in one often moves to the other. The parallel minor, B minor, starts on the same note with a different set of chords.

Play it with a capo

B major takes barre chords on guitar. A capo lets you play it with the open shapes of an easier key:

Capo 2, the shapes of A major: A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m and G♯dim
Capo 4, the shapes of G major: G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F♯dim
Capo 7, the shapes of E major: E, F♯m, G♯m, A, B, C♯m and D♯dim

The B major scale and key signature

The notes of B major are B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯. Its key signature has five sharps: C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯. Each chord of the key is built from these notes, a third apart: a chord on every note of the scale. See the B major scale on the guitar neck, and the B major pentatonic.

Keys nearby

On the circle of fifths, F♯ major and E major sit on either side of B major. Each shares six of its seven notes, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.

Every key

C D♭D E♭E F F♯G A♭A B♭B

C minor C♯ minor D minor E♭ minor E minor F minor F♯ minor G minor G♯ minor A minor B♭ minor B minor

All twenty-four on one page: chords in every key. To print these chords, open them as a chord chart, or make your own in the chord chart maker. This key on bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.