PorchtoneQuick answer: the seven chords in B minor are Bm, C♯°, D, Em, F♯m, G, A. The strongest are Bm, Em and F♯m (the i, iv and v); most songs in Bm lean on those.
The chords
| BmiB D F♯ | C♯°ii°C♯ E G | DIIID F♯ A | EmivE G B | F♯mvF♯ A C♯ | GVIG B D | AVIIA C♯ E |
Progressions that sound good in Bm
- AndalusianBm – A – G – F♯ (i VII VI V)
A falling bass line with Spanish drama.
- Night driveBm – G – D – A (i VI III VII)
Dark but moving forward; huge in film and alt-pop.
Playing in Bm with a capo
If the barre chords in Bm are a stretch, put a capo on and play easier open shapes. The song still sounds in Bm.
| Capo | Play these shapes |
|---|---|
| Fret 2 | Am, B°, C, Dm, Em, F (shapes from Am) |
| Fret 7 | Em, F♯°, G, Am, Bm, C (shapes from Em) |
Related keys
B minor shares all its chords with its relative major, D major. Its closest neighbours are F♯ minor and E minor, which share six of its seven notes and make easy key changes.