What chords are in the key of B Minor?

The key of B Minor uses Bm, D, Em, F♯m, G, A. Those six cover almost every song written in B Minor; the seventh, a diminished chord on the leading note, turns up far more rarely.

How many sharps or flats does B Minor have?

B Minor has 2 sharps in its key signature.

What is the relative major of B Minor?

D Major — it shares the same notes and the same key signature as B Minor, just centred on a different home chord. Songs slip between the two all the time.

What capo position is best for B Minor?

A capo on fret 7, fingering Em shapes. It sounds exactly like B Minor but swaps the barre chords for open ones.

Chords in the Key of B Minor

B Minor is built from Bm, D, Em, F♯m, G, A and carries 2 sharps in its key signature. On guitar it is easiest with a capo on fret 7, fingering Em shapes.

The 6 chords of B Minor

Tap any diagram for a full fingering guide for that chord.

Chord numbers and numerals

Roman numerals are how theory writes a key; Nashville numbers are how session players call one on stage. Both say the same thing — the chord's position in the key, independent of which key you end up in.

Numeral	Nashville	Chord in B Minor	Role
i	1m	Bm	Home chord (tonic)
III	3	D	Relative major — bright lift
iv	4m	Em	Subdominant
v	5m	F♯m	Pulls home
VI	6	G	Warm resolution
VII	7	A	Rock cadence

More on this in the Nashville number system guide.

Common progressions in B Minor

The same handful of progressions carry most of popular music. Here they are written out in this key.

The minor pop loop

i – VI – III – VII

The minor-key equivalent of the four-chord song — moody but never gloomy.

Bm→G→D→A

The minor three-chord

i – iv – v

Plain and folk-like. Raising the v to a major V adds a much stronger pull home.

Bm→Em→F♯m

The Andalusian-flavoured vamp

i – VII – VI – VII

A rocking, cyclical feel that never fully resolves — good for verses and jams.

Bm→A→G→A

The lift

i – VI – VII

Climbs out of the minor tonic and back again; common in choruses and film cues.

Bm→G→A

Playing B Minor on guitar

How hard this key is has nothing to do with the music and everything to do with where the notes fall on the neck.

Played open, B Minor asks for barre chords, which is tiring over a full set and a common place for beginners to stall. Put a capo on fret 7 and finger Em shapes instead: the song still sounds in B Minor, but your hand is doing the easy version. See the full capo breakdown for B Minor →

Its relative major is D Major — same notes, same key signature, different centre of gravity. The parallel key, B Major, keeps the same home note but flips the mood; borrowing a chord from it is one of the oldest tricks for making a chorus land.

Move a song into or out of B Minor

If B Minor does not fit the singer, these pages show exactly which chord becomes which.

Frequently asked questions

What chords are in the key of B Minor?: The key of B Minor uses Bm, D, Em, F♯m, G, A. Those six cover almost every song written in B Minor; the seventh, a diminished chord on the leading note, turns up far more rarely.
How many sharps or flats does B Minor have?: B Minor has 2 sharps in its key signature.
What is the relative major of B Minor?: D Major — it shares the same notes and the same key signature as B Minor, just centred on a different home chord. Songs slip between the two all the time.
What capo position is best for B Minor?: A capo on fret 7, fingering Em shapes. It sounds exactly like B Minor but swaps the barre chords for open ones.

Have a chart in B Minor?

Upload the PDF or a photo and move every chord to whatever key you need — the layout stays exactly as printed, capo banner included.

Transpose a chart Capo for B Minor