The B minor guitar chord is an essential building block for any guitarist. It’s been the basis of numerous timeless songs such as Megadeth’s “Tornado of Souls,” as well as classic pieces by Tchaikovsky like Swan Lake.
However, this chord can be challenging to play for beginners due to requiring one finger across all strings of a barre. However, easier forms exist of this chord.
Key of B Minor
B minor is a relatively unknown chord for beginning guitar players, yet an essential one. Although more complicated than C chords, B minor has the ability to sound very different from its more familiar B major counterpart due to an extra note in its key signature that turns this bright major into more subdued minor chord.
This chord can be played easily using various approaches. One simple method involves using shape 1 above; this involves using your index finger to bar across strings 5, 3, and 1. Although relatively straightforward, this variation requires some pressure from you in order to ensure all six strings stay still without buzzing out.
Shape 5 (above), on the other hand, uses your index, middle, and ring fingers to play all strings simultaneously without using barres. Though more difficult than shape 1, this shape sounds very much like the chord in Edward Grieg’s classic In The Hall of The Mountain King song and makes for some nice strumming by Johnny Marr or The Cure-type players.
Major Triad
Major chords can be heard both in upbeat songs and melancholy ballads, though B minor stands out as having its own special quality that makes it sound more sad but is more melodic and less tense than major scale scale.
Chords are the building blocks of tonal music. Their quality – major, minor, diminished or augmented – depends on the intervals between their roots and third and fifth. To construct a basic triad, draw its root onto a staff note then write generic third and fifth notes above it (draw a snowperson).
Apply any accidentals from the key signature, if necessary. The resultant chord is a major triad, though to change to minor by shifting third an octave higher; or for diminished by moving fifth one octave lower.
Minor Triad
Minor chords offer a muted sound that is ideal for slow songs. Some of the greatest classical pieces were written using this chord progression, including Fur Elise by Beethoven or Prelude in C Minor by Rachmaninoff; there are also numerous popular tunes like Summertime by The Beatles or Chatanooga Choo Choo by Glenn Miller that feature it.
Minor triads, like their major counterpart, consist of three notes. However, the third note in a minor triad has its tone lowered by one semitone – creating tension and suspense when added into songs. This technique is known as diminished triad.
To play a diminished chord on guitar, simply use your first finger to play the low root note and your second finger to play its flat 3rd note – this will form a simple minor triad that’s easy to learn and build muscle memory for. There are also different inversions such as 6/4 and 5/4 which offer further variation of this chord type.
Barred Version
Barre chords such as B minor can be challenging for novice guitarists, and even experienced guitarists can struggle to navigate these unique shapes due to being so different than open chords.
But fretting these shapes needn’t be difficult! There are simple solutions available to you to play them easily while still getting the sounds you require from them. One popular technique involves simply shifting up the neck a bit so the shape sits at around second fret.
This method makes the chord easier to finger and requires less pressure from your fingertips – an excellent way to build strength for playing its regular barred version!
Be mindful not to make this chord sound too major or minor; it may not suit all songs, particularly ones featuring power chords; in these instances it would be wiser to use a capo at the 7th fret and play chords of C, F, G instead.