B minor chord on ukulele (Bm)

Bm is B, D and F♯. The usual shape is 4-2-2-2. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.

4-2-2-2 · movable · medium

Notes: B · D · F♯
Formula: 1 · ♭3 · 5
First shape: 4-2-2-2

How to play Bm on ukulele

Shape 1, 4-2-2-2, reading from the G string on the left, starts at the 2nd fret:

Put your index finger on the C string at the 2nd fret, which is D.
Put your middle finger on the E string at the 2nd fret, which is F♯.
Put your ring finger on the A string at the 2nd fret, which is B.
Put your pinky finger on the G string at the 4th fret, which is B.

Your little finger has a job in this shape; it gets stronger in a week or two of short daily practice.
Strum with the pad of your index finger or thumb, all four strings, across the spot where the neck meets the body.

Other ways to play Bm

7-6-7-5: movable shape at the 5th fret, medium. Same notes, stacked differently, so it sounds a little different.
11-11-10-9: movable shape at the 9th fret, medium. Higher up the neck it sounds brighter; handy when another guitar is already playing a lower shape.

Playing Bm with a capo

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open Am shape (2-0-0-0) or capo on the 7th fret and play the open Em shape (0-4-3-2). The chord sounds as Bm because the capo raises every string by 2 half steps.

Bm chord changes

The chords Bm usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

E (V in A major): Bm (4-2-2-2) to E (1-4-0-2): your index finger lands on the G string, 1st fret, the middle finger slides across to the A string at the same fret, the ring finger goes to the C string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share B, which is why the change sounds smooth. E on ukulele
D (IV in A major): Bm (4-2-2-2) to D (2-2-2-0): the index finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the middle finger slides across to the C string at the same fret, the ring finger slides across to the E string at the same fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Listen for D and F♯, which stay put while the rest moves. D on ukulele
A (I in A major): Bm (4-2-2-2) to A (2-1-0-0): your index finger lands on the C string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 2nd fret. A on ukulele

Bm is a minor triad. All 3 notes of Bm fit on the ukulele's four strings, with one of them doubled. On ukulele you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

Getting Bm under your fingers

Before strumming, play 4-2-2-2 note by note: B then D then F♯ then B. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Then switch to 7-6-7-5 and back four times without looking at your hand.

Bm in context

In B minor, i–VI–III–VII on ukulele is Bm (4-2-2-2), G (0-2-3-2), D (2-2-2-0) and A (2-1-0-0). About the minor anthem.

In B minor, i–iv–V on ukulele is Bm (4-2-2-2), Em (0-4-3-2) and F♯ (3-1-2-1). About the minor cadence.

In B minor, i–VII–VI–V on ukulele is Bm (4-2-2-2), A (2-1-0-0), G (0-2-3-2) and F♯ (3-1-2-1). About the Andalusian cadence.

Bm on guitar and piano

Switching instruments? Try Bm on piano or Bm on guitar, or compare them on the Bm chord page.

Close to Bm

Other minor chords

Bm on ukulele: questions

What notes are in Bm on ukulele?

B, D and F♯. In the 4-2-2-2 shape the strings play B (G string), D (C string), F♯ (E string) and B (A string), so B is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Bm on ukulele?

Bm has no open-string shape in standard tuning, so every version needs a barre or a stretch. Start with 4-2-2-2. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is Bm a barre chord on ukulele?

Not the usual shape: 4-2-2-2 needs no barre.

Which string does Bm start on?

In the 4-2-2-2 shape the lowest string you play is the G string at the 4th fret, which is B, the root.

Every shape above plays only B, D and F♯, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.