The B minor chord is easy enough to learn and play on the piano! This is our first minor chord with a sharp directly in it. But don’t let that scare you! B minor uses the same fingerings as other minor chords. With a little practice, you’ll get it down in no time.
If you want to play songs with B minor in them, it is a good idea to know some other chords too—like G major, D major, and E minor.
In addition, it is smart to learn the B Major chord before learning B minor so you can understand how the major chord changes when it becomes minor.
What is the B minor chord on piano?
The B minor chord is a minor triad with 1 sharp, F#. It is formed just like any other minor chord—by taking the major chord and lowering the third a half step. If that sounds tricky now, don’t worry! The diagrams and tips I have for you should help.
How do you play B minor on the keyboard?
You will play a B minor chord simply by pressing down the 3 notes in the triad simultaneously. See below for a diagram on which notes are included.
Notes in a B Minor Chord
In it’s simplest form (root position) the B minor chord includes 3 notes: B, D, and F#. B is the root of the chord, the D the minor third, and the F# the perfect fifth. Below you can see B minor on the keyboard!
Bm Chord Piano Finger Position
Before continuing, we have to talk about fingering. You should always pay attention to fingerings when learning something new on the piano!
The nice thing is that the fingerings for minor chords are always the same. And even better, the fingering is the same as major chords! Even though the number of flats and sharps vary, the fingering remains the same.
Right hand fingering: 1 – 3 – 5
Left hand fingering: 5 – 3 – 1
Don’t forget that finger 1 is your thumb, finger 3 your middle finger, and finger 5 your pinky.
Bm Piano Chord Inversions
After you learn the basic B minor triad, the next step is inversions! If you’ve already learned your major chords, you should know that inversions are basically just the same notes in the triad but mixed up in a different order.
Bm/D – First Inversion Chord
Bm first inversion is known as Bm/D. This is because the D is now on the bottom, followed by F#, and then B on the top.
Right Hand fingering: 1 – 2 – 5
Left hand fingering: 5 – 3 – 1
Bm/F# – Second Inversion Chord
Bm second inversion is known as Bm/F#, for the same reason as the previous chord. This time, the F# is on the bottom, followed by B, and D on top.
Right hand fingering: 1 – 3 – 5
Left hand fingering: 1 – 2 – 5
Once you have a feel for the different inversions, make sure to practice them all together! You’ll want to do your right and left hand separately at first, starting at the basic Bm chord and moving up and back down all the inversions. The last step is to practice them with both hands together until it is easy.
B Minor Inversions on the Staff
It is a good idea not only to play the B minor inversions, but to see what they look like written out on the staff. The more you study this, the easier it will be to recognize B minor chords and inversions in an actual piece of music!
What chords are in the key of B Minor?
While B minor is a chord, it is also a key with other chords in it too! In fact, a chord can be built off of each note of the B minor scale. All of these chords are great ones to know because they sound good when played in succession with Bm.
Here’s a quick list you can refer to:
- i – B minor
- iidim – C# diminished
- III – D major
- iv – E minor
- v – F# minor
- VI – G major
- VII – A major
B Minor Chord Progressions
The best way to use those chords listed above is to put them into a chord progression! This is simply an order of playing a few chords that is often repeated multiple times. Here are a few of my favorite B minor chord progressions:
- Bm – G – D – A (i – VI – III – VII)
- Em – D – Bm – A (iv, III, i, VII)
- Bm – D – Em – G (i, III, iv, VI)
More Questions About B Minor
Let’s finish this post by talking about some other common questions people have about B minor!
Is B minor the same as D major?
No, B minor is not exactly the same as D major. They do have the same key signature (2 sharps) but they are not the same key. Intsead, they are known as relative major and minor keys.
Is B minor the same thing as B major?
No, B minor is also not the same as B major. B minor has a lowered third, while B major has a raised third. The spelling for Bm is B, D, F# as we talked about, while the spelling for B major is B, D#, F#.
What goes well with B minor?
All of the chords in the key of Bm will sound good with the Bm chord! Make sure to look at my list of chords in the key of B and chord progressions for more information.
What is the B minor 7 chord?
A B minor 7 chord is a chord with an additional note compared to regular Bm. You guessed it – that note is the 7th! The spelling of a Bm7 is B, D, F#, A.
Conclusion
B minor is an easy piano chord to learn, and if you already know some other minor chords it will be a breeze! While it does have a sharp, don’t let that intimidate you. The fingering is the same as other major and minor chords. So make sure you start practicing! Learn the basic chord first, and then move onto inversions and chord progressions. You got this!