How to Play the B Minor Chord on Guitar?

Guitar is one of those musical instruments which is bound to make harmonic sound no matter how you play it. But every once in a while as a music creator, you need to produce a sound that shows remorse, sadness and distress. 

Well, that sound too can be achieved on guitar by playing the B minor chord. It is not an easy chord to master and is especially challenging for beginners. But if you follow our instructions and step-by-step guide on how to play B minor chord you will soon be able to play it like a professional. 

Today, we dedicate this blog to the study of B minor chords. Here we are going to showcase how you should play the Bm chord, what are the different variations of this chord, and tips that make it easier for you to play this chord.

Understanding the B Minor Chord

The B minor chord is omnipresent in different chord progressions which are played in the key of D and G. These two guitar progressions are most common in guitar playing. In addition to this, the Bm chord is also said to be a relative minor of the D major chord. 

The standard version of this chord requires you to use one finger as a barre on multiple strings. Thus, making it quite challenging for those who have just started playing guitar and learning new strings every day. 

How to play the B minor chord?

Playing the B minor chord properly is going to take you some time for sure, but making mistakes during the practice is all part of the learning. With the help of your index finger, you will barre the first 5 strings from bottom to top on the fret. All your other strings will be used for the rest of the part to form chords.

The barred version of B minor is the one you need to master, even though there are other variations available which you can easily find in online free guitar lessons for beginners. This barred version of the B minor guitar chord is the one you need to master if you want to learn guitar more than just a hobby. Learn about how to play the B minor pattern here.

What Notes Make Up The Bm Chord?

The B, C#, D, E, F#, G, and A notes make up this melancholic-sounding chord.

Variations of the B Minor Chord

There are three different methods of playing the Bm chord. We are going to start with the easiest variation and then move towards more difficult ones from there.

i. The Easiest B Minor Chord Variation

This variation of the B minor chord is the easiest and the most beginner-friendly among all the variations. From the given image below you can make out that in this variation you will only be playing three of the thinnest strings of guitar. See, having six strings doesn’t compel you to play all six strings at the same time, you can create a great sound even with just one string at times.

• Step 1:- Place your index finger (1) on the 2nd fret at the 1st string.
• Step 2:- Place your middle finger (2) on the 3rd fret at the 2nd string. 
• Step 3:- Place your ring finger (3) on the 4th fret at the 3rd string. 
• Step 4:- Strum 3 strings from bottom to top.

ii. Four Finger Variation of B Minor chord

Once you are able to play the easiest variation the next step is using four fingers to play the same chord. We know how difficult it is to use your pinky (4) finger when practising chords on the guitar. But that’s not the case with the Bm chord, in here we are not stretching the smallest finger too much. 

Instead, we are going to push the ring finger (3) to play the thickest string (4). Also, when you have to place 2 fingers on the same fret to play chord progression then the thicker finger needs to play the thicker chord, just like here.

• Step 1:- Place your index finger (1) on the 2nd fret at the 1st string.
• Step 2:- Place your middle finger (2) on the 3rd fret at the 2nd string. 
• Step 3:- Place your ringer finger (3) on the 4th fret at the 4th string.
• Step 4:- Place your pinky finger (4) on the 4th fret at the 3rd string. 
• Step 5:- Strum the first 4 strings from bottom to top. 

This version of the B minor chord comes in pretty handy to guitarists because it makes the transition between other chords much quicker and simpler to perform. As a result, you will end up using this B minor variation a lot more when playing your favourite songs.

iii. Barred Variation of B Minor Chord

After you are able to play the 2nd variation (4-finger Bm) the next variation you need to master is the barred chord variation of B minor. This is the final step of the B minor’s learning ladder, once you conquer this variation, you won’t face any trouble playing B minor at any position in the chord progression sequence.

• Step 1:- For this B minor chord variation you have to first use the tip of your index finger (1) to place it right behind the 2nd fret on the 5th string. 
• Step 2:- Once this is done you have to flatten your knuckle to barre strings from 1st to 4th. 
• Step 3:- Place your middle finger (2) on the 3rd fret at the 2nd string. 
• Step 4:- Place your ringer finger (3) on the 4th fret at the 4th string.
• Step 5:- Place your pinky finger (4) on the 4th fret at the 3rd string. 
• Step 6:- Strum all 5 strings from bottom to top except the 6th string which is the thickest. 

You can also explore the Basics of Barre Chords here.

Genres Where The B Minor Chord Is Commonly Used

B minor chord is known to be versatile in nature, as a result, you can find it in multiple musical genres such as rock, pop, country, blues and even in Guitar Bollywood songs. In addition to its versatility, music composers love to include the Bm chord in their progressions because it delivers an emotional punch to the music.

Rock 

• Subdivisions by Rush 
• Hotel California by Eagles
• Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera
• Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
• Englishman in New York – Sting

Pop 

• Let’s Get It Started by Black Eyed Peas
• Rasputin by Boney M (Verse)
• Gangnam Style by PSY
• Alejandro by Lady Gaga
• Bad Habits by Ed Sheeran
• Get This Party Started by Pink Floyd 

Bollywood Songs 

• Mere Rashke Qamar (मेरे रश्के क़मर) by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan from Baadshaho 
• Gulabi Ankhen (गुलाबी आँखें) by Mohammed Rafi and R. D. Burman
• Muskurane by Jeet Ganguly and Arijit Singh from CityLights

Tips for Playing the B Minor Chord

There is a very simple exercise called quick draw which you can also include in your guitar warmup exercises. For this exercise, you will need a stopwatch or a clock. 

• First, put your fretting hand on the thigh. 
• At the same time, look at the watch and see if you are able to see the second-hand of the clock. 
• Now form the Bm chord and wait for 5 seconds before fretting it. 
• Once the five seconds are up, strum the Bm chord. 
• Repeat this exercise to gain muscle memory and dexterity in your fingers.

You don’t need to perform the quick draw every five seconds without taking a pause. Instead, it would be best if you take a break after every Bm fretting, let some seconds pass by and then again place your finger in the right position, wait for 5 seconds and then strum the chords 

Also, your fingers are going to take some time before they start feeling less strain when playing the Bm chord. Thus, you should practice playing this chord for just about 10 to 50 minutes each day and then practice some other guitar chord series.