As the tonic (I)B major
Home. The loop leaves B Major and keeps coming back to it.
B Major Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B Major chord is built on the root note B. Its notes are B, D♯ and F♯.
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Quality
Short answer
Major chords feel bright, stable and resolved. A root, a major third and a perfect fifth give them a happy, confident sound. Most popular music is built on them.
- Notes
- B · D♯ · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7
- Note
- B
- Quality
- Major
- Symbol
- B
B Major on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B Major on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B, middle finger on D♯ and little finger on F♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♯ and F♯ are black keys and B is white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B1
- D♯3
- F♯5
B Major on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B Major is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 7: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. If the full barre won't ring yet, play strings 4 to 1 only: they already hold all three notes.
B · D♯ · F♯
Play B Major on the online piano
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B Major chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D♯(D#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F♯(F#) |
How to use the B Major chord
The B Major chord is built from a root, a major third and a perfect fifth. Start at the root B and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B, D♯ and F♯. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
You'll find major chords in almost every style of popular music: rock anthems, country ballads, pop hits and hymns. They commonly appear as the I, IV and V chords in a major key.
In major keys B is the V in E major, the I in B major and the IV in F♯ major; in minor keys it's the V in E minor, the VII in C♯ minor and the III in G♯ minor. As the V of E minor it takes its third, D♯, from the harmonic minor scale: the key's seventh degree, raised a half step.
How B Major differs from similar chords
B and Bm share the root and the fifth, and the only difference is the third: a major third in B, a minor third in Bm. Add a major seventh and it becomes Bmaj7, add a minor seventh and it becomes B7. Of all the chords on this root, the plain major triad is the one that sounds finished.
Songs that use the B Major chord
These well-known tracks all play the B Major chord somewhere - they are not necessarily in that key.
- 1Don't Stop Me NowQueen
- 2Crazy in LoveBeyonce
- 3Human NatureMichael Jackson
- 4Livin on a Prayer (chorus)Bon Jovi
- 5Since U Been GoneKelly Clarkson
Where B Major is used
A major chord is at home as a tonic, and just as useful as the IV or the V of a neighbouring key. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Scales that contain B
These scales include B as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
C♯ Natural Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
C♯ Dorian
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B
C♯ Mixolydian
C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B
C♯ Aeolian
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
C♯ Hindu
C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
C♯ Arabian
C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F♯ · G · A · B
E Major
E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B · C♯ · D♯
E Harmonic Minor
E · F♯ · G · A · B · C · D♯
E Melodic Minor
E · F♯ · G · A · B · C♯ · D♯
E Lydian
E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B · C♯ · D♯
E Harmonic Major
E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B · C · D♯
E Hungarian Minor
E · F♯ · G · A♯ · B · C · D♯
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B Major chord?
- The B Major chord contains B, D♯ and F♯ (B, D# and F# in plain text).
- Is the B Major chord major or minor?
- B Major is a major chord. Major chords feel bright, stable and resolved. A root, a major third and a perfect fifth give them a happy, confident sound. Most popular music is built on them.
- What key is the B Major chord in?
- In major keys B is the V in E major, the I in B major and the IV in F♯ major; in minor keys it's the V in E minor, the VII in C♯ minor and the III in G♯ minor. As the V of E minor it takes its third, D♯, from the harmonic minor scale: the key's seventh degree, raised a half step.
- How do you play B Major on piano?
- Place your fingers on B, D♯ and F♯ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard D♯ and F♯ are black keys and B is white.
- How do you play B Major on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 7: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. If the full barre won't ring yet, play strings 4 to 1 only: they already hold all three notes.
- What chords work well with B Major?
- B Major pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.