B minor chord on piano (Bm)
Bm is B, D and F♯. You'll find B just right of the group of three black keys (a white key). Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.
root position · B–D–F♯ · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- B · D · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5
How to play Bm on piano
Start on B, count 3 half steps up to D then 4 half steps up to F♯. Press the 3 keys together and that's Bm.
- Right hand: 1 on B, 3 on D and 5 on F♯.
- Left hand: 5 on B, 3 on D and 1 on F♯.
- On the keyboard it's white, white and black keys.
Bm inversions
- root position: B–D–F♯. Fingers 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: D–F♯–B (D in the bass). Right hand 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: F♯–B–D (F♯ in the bass). RH 1-3-5.
Inversions keep the same notes and change which one is lowest. Moving between chords, pick the inversion that keeps your hand closest to where it already is.
Moving between Bm and its neighbours
These are the changes you'll meet most often with Bm, using the first shape of each chord.
- E (V in A major): Bm to E: play E in 2nd inversion (B–E–G♯) and B stays under the same finger, while D moves up to E and F♯ up to G♯. E on piano
- D (IV in A major): Bm to D: play D in 2nd inversion (A–D–F♯) and D and F♯ stay under the same fingers, while B moves down to A. D on piano
- A (I in A major): Bm to A: play A in root position (A–C♯–E), while B moves down to A, D down to C♯ and F♯ down to E. A on piano
Bm is a minor triad. A minor chord softens a progression. Try Bm right after B major to hear how much one note changes. The one-by-one button above makes that quality easy to hear.
Practice Bm in two minutes
Start with a broken chord, B D F♯ D B, then play it solid. Next, walk up through B–D–F♯ → D–F♯–B → F♯–B–D without lifting your eyes to your hand.
The keys of Bm
Bm is a minor chord, 1–♭3–5 from B. Root position, from the bottom: how Bm is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| D | white key | RH 3 · LH 3 | minor third |
| F♯ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
Bm in context
In B minor, i–VI–III–VII on piano is Bm (B–D–F♯), G (G–B–D), D (D–F♯–A) and A (A–C♯–E). About the minor anthem.
In B minor, i–iv–V on piano is Bm (B–D–F♯), Em (E–G–B) and F♯ (F♯–A♯–C♯). About the minor cadence.
In B minor, i–VII–VI–V on piano is Bm (B–D–F♯), A (A–C♯–E), G (G–B–D) and F♯ (F♯–A♯–C♯). About the Andalusian cadence.
Bm on guitar and ukulele
Bm on guitar and ukulele uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Related B chords on piano
Other minor chords
Bm on piano: questions
What notes are in Bm on piano?
B, D and F♯: B (white key), D (white key) and F♯ (black key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play Bm on piano?
Press B, D and F♯ together (1 black, 2 white). Right hand: 1 on B, 3 on D and 5 on F♯.
What are the inversions of Bm?
1st inversion (D–F♯–B) and 2nd inversion (F♯–B–D), after root position (B–D–F♯). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does Bm look like on the keyboard?
white, white and black keys.
Every shape above plays only B, D and F♯, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.