Bm guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - i - m - a · Classic Ascending (4/4 · 4 notes · Level 1)
The thumb plays B on the 5th and the three top strings add up to 3 different notes. All 6 arpeggios
Steady bass with uniform ascending movement.
Play Bm one string at a time and you hear B, D and F#. B is the root, D the minor third and F# the fifth. Said aloud, its notes are B, D and F sharp.
From the low string to the high one you hear B, F#, B, D and F#. The root, B, shows up twice in the main shape. The lowest note is B on string 5 and the highest is F# on string 1.
The main Bm shape needs a barre at fret 2 across five strings. Avoid string 6. Everything fits between frets 2 and 4. Besides the main one there are two more shapes, at frets 7 and 9.
B is one change away. String 2 moves from fret 3 to fret 4, bringing in D#, the major third of B. It shares two notes with D, D and F#. Going to D, two positions stay the same.
Bm shows up in five keys. In D major it is the vi, in A major the ii and in G major the iii. The rest appear in the key list. Further down there are two songs that use it.
B 1D ♭3F# 5
Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 2 (B)
String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted
Placement tip: Barre fret 2. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 4, 3rd String (G) at fret 4, 2nd String (B) at fret 3. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Barre fret 7. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 9, 4th String (D) at fret 9.
Placement tip: Press: 4th String (D) at fret 9 with your Index finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 11 with your Ring finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 12 with your Pinky finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 10 with your Middle finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E), 5th String (A).
Finger 1 bars fret 2 (strings 1 to 5). Finger 2 on string 2 fret 3, finger 3 on string 4 fret 4, and finger 4 on string 3 fret 4.
Thumb Placement: Centered behind fret 2 at mid-neck height to stabilize the barre.
Squeezing aggressively with the thumb clamp, or allowing the low open E string to rumble and undermine the B root tone.
Immediate Solution: Rest the fleshy tip of your barring index finger against the edge of the 6th string to damp it out. Channel arm leverage rather than thumb pressure.
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 2 to 4 |
| Barre | fret 2, from the 5th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 4 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | 6th |
At fret 2, only the barre sounds the 5th and 1st strings.
Listen: Bm → D · F# · F#m
Bm sits in the scale of 5 keys.
Well-known songs where this chord plays a clear role
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the Bm chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.
The primary bass note of the Bm chord is its root note: B. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 2.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The Bm chord is constructed using the 1 - ♭3 - 5 formula (Minor Triad). Its constituent pitches are B, D, F#.
To prevent fret buzz on the Bm barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
"Hotel California" (Eagles, 1976). Opens the verse (Bm - F# - A - E - G - D - Em - F#).
"Despacito" (Luis Fonsi y Daddy Yankee, 2017). Part of the chord loop that repeats through most of the song (Bm - G - D - A).
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