PorchtoneQuick answer: the seven chords in B major are B, C♯m, D♯m, E, F♯, G♯m, A♯°. The strongest are B, E and F♯ (the I, IV and V); most songs in B lean on those.
The chords
| BIB D♯ F♯ | C♯miiC♯ E G♯ | D♯miiiD♯ F♯ A♯ | EIVE G♯ B | F♯VF♯ A♯ C♯ | G♯mviG♯ B D♯ | A♯°vii°A♯ C♯ E |
Progressions that sound good in B
- Pop anthemB – F♯ – G♯m – E (I V vi IV)
Big, hopeful, singable. One of the most used progressions in pop.
- SensitiveG♯m – E – B – F♯ (vi IV I V)
The same four chords starting on the minor: wistful, then lifting.
- FiftiesB – G♯m – E – F♯ (I vi IV V)
Doo-wop and slow-dance warmth.
- LiftE – B – F♯ – G♯m (IV I V vi)
Starts away from home, so it feels like it is always reaching.
- Slow burnB – D♯m – E – F♯ (I iii IV V)
Tender, with a gentle ache on the iii chord.
- HymnB – E – B – F♯ (I IV I V)
Plain and honest; leaves room for the words.
- Three chordsB – E – F♯ (I IV V)
The backbone of folk, country and rock and roll.
- HighwayB – A – E – B (I bVII IV I)
Open-road rock: the borrowed ♭VII gives it swagger.
- HeartlandB – A – E – E (I bVII IV IV)
Jangly, wide-open guitar rock.
- 12-bar bluesB7 – B7 – B7 – B7 – E7 – E7 – B7 – B7 – F♯7 – E7 – B7 – F♯7 (I7 I7 I7 I7 IV7 IV7 I7 I7 V7 IV7 I7 V7)
Twelve bars that most of rock and roll grew out of.
- Two-five-oneC♯m7 – F♯7 – Bmaj7 (ii7 V7 Imaj7)
The basic cadence of jazz standards.
Playing in B with a capo
If the barre chords in B are a stretch, put a capo on and play easier open shapes. The song still sounds in B.
| Capo | Play these shapes |
|---|---|
| Fret 2 | A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m (shapes from A) |
| Fret 4 | G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em (shapes from G) |
| Fret 7 | E, F♯m, G♯m, A, B, C♯m (shapes from E) |
Related keys
B major shares all its chords with its relative minor, G♯ minor. Its closest neighbours are G♭ major and E major, which share six of its seven notes and make easy key changes.