B minor chord on guitar (Bm)

Bm is B, D and F♯. The usual shape is x-2-4-4-3-2, a barre at the 2nd fret. Hit Play and watch each string light as it sounds.

x-2-4-4-3-2 · barre · medium

Notes: B · D · F♯
Formula: 1 · ♭3 · 5
First shape: x-2-4-4-3-2

How to play Bm on guitar

Shape 1, x-2-4-4-3-2, reading from the low E string on the left, starts at the 2nd fret:

Barre the 2nd fret with your index finger, covering the 5 strings from the A string to the high E string.
Put your middle finger on the B string at the 3rd fret, which is D.
Put your ring finger on the D string at the 4th fret, which is F♯.
Put your pinky finger on the G string at the 4th fret, which is B.
Skip the low E string and begin the strum from the A string.

Keep the barre just behind the fret wire, not in the middle of the fret. Your thumb goes behind the neck, roughly opposite your middle finger.
The pinky takes a note here. Keep it curved and close to the fretboard between chords so it has less distance to travel.

Other ways to play Bm

x-2-4-4-3-x: movable shape at the 2nd fret, medium. Fewer strings, so it sounds lighter and is quicker to change to.
7-9-9-7-7-7: barre shape at the 7th fret, medium. Built on the Em open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
x-14-12-11-12-x: movable shape at the 11th fret, medium. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.

Capo shortcuts for Bm

A capo turns an open chord into Bm: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open Am shape (x-0-2-2-1-0) or capo on the 7th fret and play the open Em shape (0-2-2-0-0-0). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

Moving between Bm and its neighbours

The chords Bm usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

E (V in A major): Bm (x-2-4-4-3-2) to E (0-2-2-1-0-0): your index finger lands on the G string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the D string, 2nd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Listen for B, which stays put while the rest moves. E on guitar
D (IV in A major): Bm (x-2-4-4-3-2) to D (x-x-0-2-3-2): move the index finger to the G string, 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the high E string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the B string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Shared notes: D and F♯. D on guitar
A (I in A major): Bm (x-2-4-4-3-2) to A (x-0-2-2-2-0): your index finger lands on the D string, 2nd fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the B string, 2nd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. A on guitar

Bm is a minor triad. A minor chord softens a progression. Try Bm right after B major to hear how much one note changes. The slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.

Getting Bm under your fingers

Before strumming, play x-2-4-4-3-2 note by note: B then F♯ then B then D then F♯. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate x-2-4-4-3-2 and x-2-4-4-3-x, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

Bm in context

In B minor, i–VI–III–VII on guitar is Bm (x-2-4-4-3-2), G (3-2-0-0-0-3), D (x-x-0-2-3-2) and A (x-0-2-2-2-0). About the minor anthem.

In B minor, i–iv–V on guitar is Bm (x-2-4-4-3-2), Em (0-2-2-0-0-0) and F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2). About the minor cadence.

In B minor, i–VII–VI–V on guitar is Bm (x-2-4-4-3-2), A (x-0-2-2-2-0), G (3-2-0-0-0-3) and F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2). About the Andalusian cadence.

Bm on piano and ukulele

Bm on piano and ukulele uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Related B chords on guitar

Other minor chords

Bm on guitar: questions

What notes are in Bm on guitar?

B, D and F♯. In the x-2-4-4-3-2 shape the strings play B (A string), F♯ (D string), B (G string), D (B string) and F♯ (high E string), so B and F♯ are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Bm on guitar?

No open-string Bm exists in standard tuning; x-2-4-4-3-x is the place to start. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is Bm a barre chord on guitar?

Usually, yes. x-2-4-4-3-2 has your index finger across the 2nd fret. x-2-4-4-3-x avoids the barre.

Which string does Bm start on?

In the x-2-4-4-3-2 shape the lowest string you play is the A string at the 2nd fret, which is B, the root. Skip the low E string.

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside Bm. Updated September 2026.