B Chord on Ukulele
B = B – D# – F# (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th)
B major sits a whole step above A on the neck and, unlike A major's tidy two-finger shape, needs every finger spread across the first four frets: ring finger on the G string's fourth fret, middle finger on the C string's third fret, and a small barre with the index finger across the E and A strings at the second fret. It's the furthest up the neck any of the common open triads reach, and the first B-family chord where hand position, not just finger placement, becomes something to think about.
As the V chord in the key of E major, B major carries the strong pull back to the tonic that defines a dominant chord, making the E-to-B relationship one of the more frequently reached-for pairings in guitar-derived repertoire adapted for ukulele. On its own, B major is a less common key center on the instrument than C, G, F, or D, mostly because its surrounding chords — E, F#, and others — sit further from the open strings and demand more fretted, closed-hand shapes throughout a whole song. That fretted density gives B a tighter, more compressed sound than the ukulele's more open-feeling home keys, since almost nothing in a B-major progression gets to ring on an unfretted string. Players coming from guitar sometimes find B easier here than they expect, since the ukulele's shorter scale keeps the fourth-fret reach modest compared to the equivalent stretch on a six-string neck.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Build the shape from the barre outward: place the index finger flat across the E and A strings at the second fret first, then add the middle finger on the C string's third fret, and finally stretch the ring finger up to the G string's fourth fret last, since it's the furthest reach of the four. Keep the fretting-hand thumb low and centered behind the neck, since a thumb creeping over the top is the most common reason players can't comfortably add that fourth-fret note while the barre is already occupying two strings below it. Because B major has no open strings, check each note individually with a slow pluck before attempting a full strum, and pay particular attention to the barre, since it's carrying two strings' worth of the chord at once. If the stretch to the fourth fret feels like too much at first, try sliding the whole hand slightly further up the neck as a temporary crutch, then work the reach back down to proper first-position technique over time.
Common Progressions
- V – I, in the key of E (B – E)
- I – IV – V, in the key of B (B – E – F#)
- I – V – vi – IV, in the key of E (E – B – C#m – A)
- IV – V – I, resolving into E major (A – B – E)
FAQ
- Why is B major considered harder than A or G on ukulele?
- It reaches further up the neck than either of those shapes, up to the fourth fret, and has no open strings at all, so every one of its four notes depends on precise finger placement rather than getting help from a ringing open string.
- What role does B major play in the key of E?
- It's the V chord — the dominant with the strongest pull back to the tonic — making the E-to-B relationship one of the most common two-chord pairings carried over from guitar repertoire.
- Why isn't B major used as often as C or G as a key center?
- Its surrounding diatonic chords sit further from the ukulele's open strings, so a whole song built around B tends to demand more fretted, closed-hand shapes throughout, without the resonance that open-string-friendly keys offer.
- What's the best order to place the fingers for B major?
- Start with the two-string barre across the E and A strings at the second fret, then add the middle finger, then stretch the ring finger to the fourth fret last, since it's the furthest reach of the shape.
- Is there a lower-position alternative to this B major shape?
- Not really in open position — B major's notes simply don't line up conveniently with the ukulele's open GCEA strings the way C, F, and G do, which is exactly why it needs this more spread-out, fully fretted shape instead.
B on other instruments: B on Guitar, B on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.