B minor
How to play Bm — Minor
Bm (Minor)B · D · F♯
Piano samples: Salamander Grand Piano (CC-BY 3.0)
B minor — notes and structure
The Bm chord has a darker, sadder sound than its major counterpart, thanks to the lowered third.
The Bm minor consists of the notes B, D, F♯. Its interval structure is R–3–5 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the piano keyboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Bm stacks a minor third (D) and a perfect fifth (F♯) above the root B.
To play Bm, press the keys B, D, F♯ together — the root B is circled on the interactive keyboard above.
What key is Bm in?
Every note of Bm belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- G major — the iii chord
- D major — the vi chord
- A major — the ii chord
- E minor — the v chord
Chords that go with Bm
In G major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Bm next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the B minor chord on piano?
- The Bm chord is made of the notes B, D, F♯. It has a darker, sadder sound than its major counterpart, thanks to the lowered third.
- How do you play B minor on the piano?
- Press B, D, F♯ at the same time, with the root B as the lowest note. The interactive keyboard above lights up the exact keys.
- What is the minor chord formula?
- Its interval structure is R–3–5 above the root — the same shape transposed to any of the twelve keys.
- What key does Bm belong to?
- Bm fits G major (where it is the iii chord), D major (where it is the vi chord), A major (where it is the ii chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.