B Chord Chart Guitar

Every common B chord on guitar in one place: chord diagrams with finger numbers for B major, B minor, B7 and other B chords, easier alternatives if the barre chord is still a struggle, and tips for switching into and out of B.

Why B is a tricky chord

B major is one of the first chords that forces guitarists to play a barre. Unlike C, G, D, E and A, there is no comfortable open-position B major shape in standard tuning, so beginners often skip songs in the keys of E, B and G sharp minor where B appears. The good news is that there are simple stepping stones: a four-string “easy B”, the open B7 chord, and power chords, all shown in the diagrams, let you play along while you build the strength for the full barre.

How to read the chord diagrams

• The six vertical lines are the strings: low E on the left, high e on the right (reversed if you tick left-handed).
• Horizontal lines are frets. A thick top line is the nut; “7fr” beside the diagram means the first fret shown is the 7th.
• Dots show where to press, and the number inside is the finger: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little finger.
• A curved bar is a barre — one finger presses several strings at the same fret.
• An × above a string means do not play it; an ○ means play it open.
• The code under each diagram lists frets from low E to high e; x24442 means low E muted, A string 2nd fret, D 4th, G 4th, B 4th, high e 2nd.

The main B chords

Easy ways to play B

1. Easy B (xx4442): mute the low E and A strings, barre the D, G and B strings at the 4th fret with your ring finger, and put your index finger on the 2nd fret of the high e.
2. B7 (x21202): an open-position chord that fits many songs where B major is written, especially when the next chord is E.
3. B5 power chord (x244xx): for rock and punk; three strings, no barre.
4. Capo: put a capo on the 2nd fret and play an A-shape chord — it sounds as B. With the capo on the 4th fret, a G shape sounds as B.

How to play the B barre chord

The A-shape barre lays your index finger flat across the 2nd fret from the A string to the high e, then uses fingers 2, 3 and 4 — or a single ring-finger barre — on the 4th fret of the D, G and B strings. Keep the index finger straight and slightly rolled onto its bony side, place it just behind the fret wire, and let your thumb sit behind the neck roughly opposite your middle finger. Squeeze gently from the arm rather than crushing with the thumb. Play each string one at a time to find the buzzing one, adjust, then strum.

The E-shape barre at the 7th fret (799877) is the same shape as an open E major, moved up so your index finger replaces the nut. It is often easier for players with larger hands and gives a fuller six-string sound.

Songs and keys that use B

B major is the V chord in the key of E major, so it appears constantly in E songs: E, A and B are the three primary chords. It is also the I chord in B major, the III chord in G sharp minor, and B minor is the ii chord in A major and the vi chord in D major — very common in pop and folk. Practising the change from E to B7 and from A to Bm opens up a large number of songs.

Practice routine for barre chords

• Spend two or three minutes per session on the barre, then switch to something you enjoy — little and often builds strength without strain.
• Practise placing the shape, strumming once, and releasing; repeat ten times.
• Practise changes: E to B, A to Bm, G to Bm, one change per minute with a slow metronome.
• Check your guitar's action; a high action at the nut makes barre chords much harder, and a setup can help.
• Stop if you feel pain in the wrist or thumb; tension is the enemy.

Moving the shapes to other chords

Barre chords are movable. The A-shape B barre moved down one fret becomes B flat; moved up to the 3rd fret it becomes C. The E-shape at the 7th fret gives B; at the 5th fret it gives A, and at the 8th fret C. Once you can play the B barre shape cleanly, you can play every major and minor chord anywhere on the neck by sliding the same shape and knowing the root note on the A or low E string.