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Chords in the Key of B Major

Every diatonic triad and seventh chord in B major, with the progressions built from them. Free. No sign-up.

Key facts

Key signature
five sharps (F#, C#, G#, D# and A#)
Scale notes
B · C# · D# · E · F# · G# · A#
Relative minor
G# Minor
Parallel minor
B Minor

Diatonic triads

The seven diatonic triads in B Major
DegreeChordQualityNotes
IBmajorB · D# · F#
iiC#mminorC# · E · G#
iiiD#mminorD# · F# · A#
IVEmajorE · G# · B
VF#majorF# · A# · C#
viG#mminorG# · B · D#
vii°A#dimdiminishedA# · C# · E

Seventh chords

Stack one more scale tone on each triad and you get the seventh chords — same key, more color.

The seven diatonic seventh chords in B Major
DegreeChordQualityNotes
Imaj7Bmaj7major 7thB · D# · F# · A#
ii7C#m7minor 7thC# · E · G# · B
iii7D#m7minor 7thD# · F# · A# · C#
IVmaj7Emaj7major 7thE · G# · B · D#
V7F#7dominant 7thF# · A# · C# · E
vi7G#m7minor 7thG# · B · D# · F#
viiø7A#m7b5half-diminishedA# · C# · E · G#

Common progressions in B major

  • I–V–vi–IV

    B – F# – G#m – E

    The four-chord pop loop — a huge share of modern radio runs on it.

  • I–IV–V

    B – E – F#

    The three-chord workhorse behind blues, folk, and early rock and roll.

  • ii–V–I

    C#m – F# – B

    The jazz cadence — the strongest pull back home in the key.

  • I–vi–IV–V

    B – G#m – E – F#

    The '50s doo-wop turnaround, still everywhere in ballads.

How the key of B major works

B Major carries five sharps (F#, C#, G#, D# and A#). The scale runs B–C#–D#–E–F#–G#–A#, and stacking every other note of that scale builds the seven chords above — every chord tone comes from those same seven notes.

G# Minor is the relative minor: identical key signature, identical seven chords. A song that treats G#m — the vi chord here — as home base is in G# minor, even though its chord inventory matches this page exactly.

The parallel minor, B Minor, keeps the same root but flattens the third, sixth, and seventh — its signature shifts to two sharps (F# and C#). Borrowing chords across that line is where a lot of songwriting color comes from.

Keep practicing

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