The 7 chords
B · C#m · D#m · E · F# · G#m · A#dim
Every major key follows the same pattern: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished.
Chord chart
B Major chord chart
| Degree | Numeral | Chord | Notes | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | B | B – D# – F# | Bmaj7 | Tonic |
| 2 | ii | C#m | C# – E – G# | C#m7 | Supertonic |
| 3 | iii | D#m | D# – F# – A# | D#m7 | Mediant |
| 4 | IV | E | E – G# – B | Emaj7 | Subdominant |
| 5 | V | F# | F# – A# – C# | F#7 | Dominant |
| 6 | vi | G#m | G# – B – D# | G#m7 | Submediant |
| 7 | vii° | A#dim | A# – C# – E | A#m7b5 | Leading tone |
B major scale: B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A#. Key signature: 5 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯).
Progressions
Common chord progressions in B Major
The pop progression
I – V – vi – IV
- IB
- VF#
- viG#m
- IVE
The four-chord loop behind a huge share of modern pop, rock and worship songs.
Three-chord progression
I – IV – V – I
- IB
- IVE
- VF#
- IB
The three primary chords, I, IV and V — the backbone of blues, folk, country and early rock and roll.
Minor-start loop
vi – IV – I – V
- viG#m
- IVE
- IB
- VF#
The pop progression started on the vi. Same four chords, but opening on the minor chord makes the loop sound darker.
50s progression
I – vi – IV – V
- IB
- viG#m
- IVE
- VF#
The doo-wop progression of 1950s ballads, and still one of the most common loops in songwriting.
ii – V – I
ii7 – V7 – Imaj7
- ii7C#m7
- V7F#7
- Imaj7Bmaj7
The jazz cadence, played with 7th chords as it almost always is. The single most common move in jazz standards.
Canon progression
I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – IV – V
- IB
- VF#
- viG#m
- iiiD#m
- IVE
- IB
- IVE
- VF#
The eight-chord sequence of Pachelbel's Canon, borrowed by countless pop songs since.
Want more? Generate a progression in B Major by style, or build your own in the Chord Progression Player.
7th chords
7th chords in the key of B Major
Add the next note of the scale on top of each chord and you get its diatonic 7th chord — the sound of jazz, soul and R&B in B major.
On guitar
Playing in B Major on guitar
1 of the 7 chords is an open chord (E); B, C#m, D#m, F#, G#m, A#dim need a barre or a moveable shape. A capo lets you swap those for open shapes:
Capo 4 + G major shapes
Finger G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F#dim — they sound as B, C#m, D#m, E, F#, G#m, A#dim. 5 of the 7 shapes are open chords.
See the G major chords
Scales for soloing in B Major
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The key of B major has seven chords: B, C#m, D#m, E, F#, G#m and A#dim. Each is built from the notes of the B major scale (B C# D# E F# G# A#), so all seven share one key signature: 5 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯).
B, E and F# — the I, IV and V chords. Those three contain every note of the B major scale between them, which is why so many songs in B major use little else.
G# minor. It uses the same seven chords and the same key signature as B major; the difference is which chord feels like home. A song that keeps returning to G#m is in G# minor; one that settles on B is in B major.
5 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯). B major shares its key signature with its relative minor, G# minor.
F#, the V chord. Its 7th chord, F#7, is the only dominant 7th in the key, and F#7 → B is the strongest way to end a song in B major.
Bmaj7, C#m7, D#m7, Emaj7, F#7, G#m7 and A#m7b5. Each adds the next note of the scale on top of the triad, which gives two major 7ths, three minor 7ths, one dominant 7th and one half-diminished (m7♭5).
Stacking the scale notes on A# gives A#, C#, E: a minor 3rd and then another minor 3rd, so the 5th is flattened. It is the least-used chord in the key — songs often skip it, or use F#7 where it would go.
Use a capo. Only 1 of the 7 chords in B major is an open chord, but with a capo on fret 4 you can play G major shapes (G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F#dim) and they sound in B major. 5 of those shapes are open chords.
Yes — the same pitches, spelled two ways. B major is written with 5 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯); C♭ major with 7 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭). Its chords are C♭ (B), D♭m, E♭m, F♭ (E), G♭, A♭m and B♭dim, and on guitar they use exactly the same shapes as the chords on this page.
Related Tools
Circle of FifthsSee every key, its relative minor and its neighbours on one wheelKey FinderPaste a progression and detect its key with Roman numeral analysisChord Progression GeneratorPick a key and style to generate a diatonic progressionCapo CalculatorFind the capo position to play any key with open shapes