Bm Chord on Guitar
Bm = B – D – F# (Root, Minor 3rd, Perfect 5th)
B minor's standard voicing takes the A-major shape, minor-ized and moved to the second fret: X-2-4-4-3-2, with a partial barre covering four strings while two more fingers stack a fourth-fret pair on top (fingering specifics vary slightly by player), giving root B, minor third D and fifth F-sharp. It's usually the first A-shape barre — as opposed to the E-shape barres used for F and its relatives — that beginners learn, making it an important gateway to the second major barre-chord family on the neck.
B minor's dark character earns its keep two ways: A major calls on it as the second-degree chord, and D major (its relative major, sharing two sharps) hears it as the sixth-degree chord, and it's tonic of its own B minor key — a genuinely common key in rock and pop despite the chord's barre-only status, since so much guitar music lives in the keys of D, A and E, all of which touch B minor as a near neighbor. Its low position on the neck (second fret) keeps it comparatively approachable even though it's a true barre chord, and it's usually the first A-shape barre — as opposed to the E-shape barres used for F and its relatives — that a guitarist learns, making it an important gateway to the second major barre-chord family on the neck. Because it's usually the first A-shape barre a guitarist learns, mastering Bm cleanly also unlocks a whole family of related A-shape chords further up the neck, all built from the same underlying hand position just moved to different frets.
Fingerings
Barre (7th fret)
How to Practice It
Because this is an A-shape rather than E-shape barre, the technique differs slightly: the barre only needs to cover four strings (not six), but the ring and middle fingers stacking on top at the fourth fret require their own independent pressure and a slight backward lean of the hand to clear the barred strings underneath. Practice the barre alone first — index finger flat across the D, G, B and high e strings at the second fret, checking all four ring clean — before adding the other two fingers, exactly the same isolate-then-build approach that works for any barre chord. Isolate the four-string barre alone — index finger across the D, G, B and high e strings at the second fret — before adding the ring and middle fingers, confirming all four barred strings ring clean first so any buzz you hear afterward is clearly traceable to one of the added fingers. Once the four-string barre is secure, try releasing just the ring and middle fingers while holding the barre steady, then replanting them — a small independent-finger drill that builds the coordination needed for faster chord changes later.
Common Progressions
- ii–V–I in A major: Bm – E – A
- vi–IV–I–V in D major: Bm – G – D – A
- i–iv–V in B minor: Bm – Em – F#
FAQ
- What's the difference between an A-shape and E-shape barre chord?
- They're built from the two open chord shapes that use the guitar's A and low-E strings as their root respectively — A-shape barres (like this B minor) root on the fifth string and only barre four strings, while E-shape barres root on the low sixth string and barre all six, giving each family a distinct hand position and feel.
- Is B minor a common key for guitar songs?
- Yes, despite needing a barre chord for its tonic — it's closely related to the guitar-friendly keys of D major, A major and E major, and countless rock and pop songs in those keys pass through or settle briefly on B minor.
- How do I build up to playing Bm cleanly?
- Isolate the four-string barre first (index finger across D, G, B and high e at the second fret) and confirm all four ring clean before adding the ring and middle fingers on top — building the chord in that order isolates exactly which part of the shape needs more work.
- Why is Bm often the first minor barre chord taught?
- It sits at the approachable second fret, uses the A-shape family (needed for many other chords too), and is common in guitar-friendly keys like D and A major, making it a natural, high-payoff first minor barre chord to learn.
Bm on other instruments: Bm on Piano, Bm on Ukulele. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.