The 7 chords
Bm · C#dim · D · Em · F#m · G · A
Every natural minor key follows the same pattern: minor, diminished, major, minor, minor, major, major.
Chord chart
B Minor chord chart
| Degree | Numeral | Chord | Notes | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | i | Bm | B – D – F# | Bm7 | Tonic |
| 2 | ii° | C#dim | C# – E – G | C#m7b5 | Supertonic |
| 3 | III | D | D – F# – A | Dmaj7 | Mediant |
| 4 | iv | Em | E – G – B | Em7 | Subdominant |
| 5 | v | F#m | F# – A – C# | F#m7 | Dominant |
| 6 | VI | G | G – B – D | Gmaj7 | Submediant |
| 7 | VII | A | A – C# – E | A7 | Subtonic |
B minor scale: B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A. Key signature: 2 sharps (F♯, C♯).
Progressions
Common chord progressions in B Minor
Minor pop loop
i – VI – III – VII
- iBm
- VIG
- IIID
- VIIA
The four chords of the pop progression, started on the minor chord — i, VI, III, VII in a minor key is I, V, vi, IV in its relative major.
Minor three-chord progression
i – iv – v – i
- iBm
- ivEm
- vF#m
- iBm
The primary chords of the minor key, i, iv and v. Swap the minor v for the major V below for a stronger pull home.
Andalusian cadence
i – VII – VI – V
- iBm
- VIIA
- VIG
- VF#
A stepwise walk down to the major V — the sound of flamenco, and of a long list of rock songs.
Descending fifths
i – iv – VII – III
- iBm
- ivEm
- VIIA
- IIID
Each root is a 5th below the one before — the circle of fifths moving through the minor key.
Rising VI – VII
i – VI – VII – i
- iBm
- VIG
- VIIA
- iBm
Climbs from the VI through the VII back home to i — a staple of rock choruses and film scores.
Minor ii – V – i
iiø7 – V7 – i7
- iiø7C#m7b5
- V7F#7
- i7Bm7
The minor-key jazz cadence. The V7 comes from the harmonic minor scale, which is what makes it resolve so strongly.
Want more? Generate a progression in B Minor by style, or build your own in the Chord Progression Player.
7th chords
7th chords in the key of B Minor
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 minor.
The major V
Why songs in B minor use F#, not F#m
The natural minor scale makes the v chord minor (F#m), and it only weakly leads home. Raise the scale's 7th note to A# — the B harmonic minor scale — and the chord becomes F# major, or F#7. That A# sits a half step below B and pulls straight to it, which is why most minor-key songs end on F# → Bm or F#7 → Bm.
On guitar
Playing in B Minor on guitar
4 of the 7 chords are open chords (D, Em, G, A); Bm, C#dim, F#m need a barre or a moveable shape.
Scales for soloing in B Minor
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The key of B minor has seven chords: Bm, C#dim, D, Em, F#m, G and A. Each is built from the notes of the B natural minor scale (B C# D E F# G A), so all seven share one key signature: 2 sharps (F♯, C♯).
Bm, Em and F#m — the i, iv and v chords. Those three contain every note of the B minor scale between them, which is why so many songs in B minor use little else.
D major. It uses the same seven chords and the same key signature as B minor; the difference is which chord feels like home. A song that keeps returning to D is in D major; one that settles on Bm is in B minor.
2 sharps (F♯, C♯). B minor shares its key signature with its relative major, D major.
The natural B minor scale gives a minor v chord, F#m, which only weakly leads home. Raising the scale's 7th note to A# (the harmonic minor scale) turns it into F# major, or F#7, whose A# sits a half step below B and pulls straight to it. Most minor-key songs use the major V at cadences.
Bm7, C#m7b5, Dmaj7, Em7, F#m7, Gmaj7 and A7. Each adds the next note of the scale on top of the triad, which gives three minor 7ths, two major 7ths, one dominant 7th and one half-diminished (m7♭5).
Stacking the scale notes on C# gives C#, E, G: 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 Em where it would go.
Yes. 4 of its 7 chords are open chords — D, Em, G and A — so most songs in B minor can be played without a barre; only Bm, C#dim and F#m need one or a moveable shape.
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