B major chord
- Bti
- D#re#
- F#fa#
B chord notes
B major stacks a major third on its root and a minor third on top, four semitones and then three. It sounds bright and settled, and chord charts write it as B.
| Note | Interval from the root | Semitones |
|---|---|---|
| Bti | Root1 | 0 |
| D#re# | Major third3 | 4 |
| F#fa# | Perfect fifth5 | 7 |
B chord inversions
An inversion plays the same notes with a different one at the bottom. Using B's inversions keeps your hand close to the next chord, so you move less between chords.
Root position
B, D#, F#
- Right hand
- 1-3-5
- Left hand
- 5-3-1
First inversion
D#, F#, B
- Right hand
- 1-2-5
- Left hand
- 5-3-1
Second inversion
F#, B, D#
- Right hand
- 1-3-5
- Left hand
- 5-2-1
Keys that use B
In these major keys B is one of the key's own chords. The numeral beside each key is its place in that key, as chord charts write it.
- E majorV
- F-sharp majorIV
- B majorI
Piano practice that remembers
The chords are just the start
Virtu listens to you play, catches the wrong notes, and has today's bars ready before you start
There's a metronome too
Online metronomeKeep your chord changes even, with accents and a speed trainerFrequently asked questions
What notes are in the B chord?
B major (B) is B, D#, F#. In solfège that's ti, re#, fa#.
Which fingers play B?
In root position, the right hand plays 1-3-5 and the left hand 5-3-1, counting from the lowest note. The thumb is 1 and the little finger is 5.
Where does the B chord usually show up?
A major chord is the home chord of its own key and the IV and V of two neighbouring keys, so B turns up at the start and end of phrases and in almost every pop accompaniment.