B guitar chord
B (B major) is built from B, D# and F#, the degrees 1–3–5. On guitar, the main shape is x 2 4 4 4 2, the first diagram, marked with the star.
Some chords decorate a song; some chords hold it up. B major is the holding kind: foundation, not ornament. Press play down there and feel the floor.
Hear B before you play
Why B sounds this way
Go back to the audio and catch the arpeggio note by note. There are only three: B, D# and F#. The middle one is the one that matters. That's the major third, and it's what gives this chord its wide-open-day face — remember the name, because in a minute we'll move exactly that note and you'll hear the weather change.
How to play B on guitar
On the guitar, six strings give the chord room to breathe — some positions use them all, others ask you to mute the lowest ones. So start with the first position below — it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. One tip from someone who's watched a lot of people get stuck: play the notes one by one before strumming. If one sounds muffled, a finger is touching the next string. Adjust, try again. It bugs you for a week and then it's automatic.
In the app: 28 B shapes on guitar
With the fingering and audio of each one, free. In the app, the arpeggio of each shape is part of Pro.
Precision Tuner: Get in tune before you play: chromatic tuner and reference tones, free in standard tuning · open in Chord and Fret
Above, the same B, higher up the neck. No rush — but the day a song wants this chord brighter and tighter, you'll already have the address.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
B notes and degrees
B stacks the root B, the major third D# and the perfect fifth F#.
Where B shows up
In real music, where does it earn its keep? Almost always as VII in C# minor, VI in D# minor, III in G# minor. Don't memorize that — just notice that the same shape plays different roles in different songs, the way a word changes meaning with the sentence.
Transpose & Capo: Need it in another key? Transpose the progression for free; finding the best capo is part of Pro · see it in Chord and Fret
Identify Chord: Found a shape on your fretboard? Mark it on the screen and the app names the chord, 5 times a day for free · use it in Chord and Fret
Real songs pass through here: Rock · blues frame · Blues · 12-bar blues
Where B usually goes
Treating B as the home chord (I) of its key, it tends to go toward the pre-dominant (C#m / E) or the dominant (F# / A#°), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
Going beyond B
When it's time to improvise over it, B Ionian (B C# D# E F# G# A# · 1 2 3 4 5 6 7: the plain major scale, where everything starts); B Lydian (B C# D# E# F# G# A# · 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7: the major scale with a raised fourth — one extra step of daydream) fit entirely. The swaps below are for when your ear gets bored of the obvious.
B Ionian
In the app: the 7 positions of B Ionian on guitar
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same B Ionian in its main shapes along the neck — pick whichever position sits under your hand. The rings mark the guide notes (the 3rd and 7th) that carry this chord's color.
Scale: The scale's positions across the neck, with degree, note and finger labels, free; playing the scale and the tempo-ramp exercise are part of Pro · see it in Chord and Fret
Scales to improvise over B
To improvise over B as home, the B Ionian scale covers it whole: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. And when the dominant (F#) pulls back, the leading tone Bb is the note that wants to resolve home.
Swaps that work:
- G#m7G#m7G#m7G#m7 — Relative minor (vi) — same tonic function
- D#m7D#m7D#m7D#m7 — Mediant (iii) — tonic function
Reharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · try it in Chord and Fret
One last test: play B and let it ring. Comfortable, right? Exactly. Now come see what happens when we add one note and take that comfort away: B7.
B chord questions
What notes are in the B chord?
The B chord is made of the notes B, D# and F#.
How do you play B on guitar?
Form the shape from string 6 to string 1: x 2 4 4 4 2. “x” means that string does not sound. The shape starts at fret 2.
What chord comes after B?
Treating B as the home chord (I) of its key, it tends to go toward the pre-dominant (C#m / E) or the dominant (F# / A#°), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
What scale works over B?
To improvise over B as home, the B Ionian scale covers it whole: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.