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Chord & Fret

Harmonic field of B minor on cavaquinho

B minor: B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A. In the shapes below, the tonic opens with the bass on F#. On the cavaquinho, four steel strings tuned D–G–B–D pack the chord into a small, bright space — every finger counts. Its four steel strings give a bright, sharp attack that cuts through the mix and drives the beat.

Bm7, 4 4 3 7Bm732314F#BDA
i · tonic4 4 3 7
C#m7b5, 2 4 2 5C#m7b51324EBC#G
ii° · subdominant2 4 2 5
Dmaj7, 7 6 7 0Dmaj76213AC#F#D
III · tonic7 6 7 0
Em7, 2 0 0 0Em71EGBD
iv · subdominant2 0 0 0
F#m7, 4 2 2 2F#m73111F#AC#E
v · dominant4 2 2 2
Gmaj7, 5 4 3 4Gmaj74213GBDF#
VI · tonic5 4 3 4
A7, 2 2 2 5A71114EAC#G
VII · dominant2 2 2 5

This is the natural-minor field. In practice the v often becomes V (major) or V7 — borrowed from the harmonic minor — to create the leading tone that pulls back to the tonic.

These are the first positions of every degree of B minor on cavaquinho. In Chord & Fret, the Circle of Fifths opens the full field — every degree with all its positions, audio and the key's secondary dominants. Open in Chord & Fret →

See the full harmonic field of B minor →