The B Minor Scale
The notes of B minor are B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A — formula 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7. Key signature: two sharps (F#, C#). Its relative major is D major, which uses the same notes from a different home. Below: the full neck, the chords in the key, and the pentatonic that lives inside it.
B minor on the fretboard
Practice B minor position by position — interactive fretboard →
Chords in the key of B minor
Harmonising the scale gives the seven chords songs in B minor are built from:
| Degree | i | ii° | bIII | iv | v | bVI | bVII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chord | Bm | C#dim | D | Em | F#m | G | A |
The core minor progression is i–iv–v (Bm, Em, F#m); songs wanting a stronger pull home borrow a major V (F#) from the harmonic minor.
The B minor pentatonic shortcut
For soloing in B minor, most players reach first for the minor pentatonic — the same scale minus the two most clash-prone notes. B minor pentatonic: B, D, E, F#, A.
Jam in B minor
Scales stick when you use them over music. Open JamLab — its key stepper transposes any minor-mode track into B minor without changing tempo.