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Chords in the Key of B Minor

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

Key facts

Key signature
two sharps (F# and C#)
Scale notes
B · C# · D · E · F# · G · A
Relative major
D Major
Parallel major
B Major

Diatonic triads

The seven diatonic triads in B Minor
DegreeChordQualityNotes
iBmminorB · D · F#
ii°C#dimdiminishedC# · E · G
IIIDmajorD · F# · A
ivEmminorE · G · B
vF#mminorF# · A · C#
VIGmajorG · B · D
VIIAmajorA · 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 Minor
DegreeChordQualityNotes
i7Bm7minor 7thB · D · F# · A
iiø7C#m7b5half-diminishedC# · E · G · B
IIImaj7Dmaj7major 7thD · F# · A · C#
iv7Em7minor 7thE · G · B · D
v7F#m7minor 7thF# · A · C# · E
VImaj7Gmaj7major 7thG · B · D · F#
VII7A7dominant 7thA · C# · E · G

Common progressions in B minor

  • i–VI–III–VII

    Bm – G – D – A

    The minor pop loop — same four chords as the major axis, started from the minor side.

  • i–iv–v

    Bm – Em – F#m

    The minor blues shape — all three chords stay minor in the natural scale.

  • i–VII–VI

    Bm – A – G

    The descending rock lament, one whole step at a time.

  • i–iv–VII–III

    Bm – Em – A – D

    A circle-of-fifths descent — each root falls a fifth to the next.

How the key of B minor works

B Minor carries two sharps (F# and C#). 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.

D Major is the relative major: identical key signature, identical seven chords. Treat D — the III chord here — as home base and you are in D major without changing a note.

The parallel major, B Major, keeps the same root but raises the third, sixth, and seventh — its signature shifts to five sharps (F#, C#, G#, D# and A#). Moving a section from minor to parallel major is one of the oldest brightness tricks in songwriting.

Keep practicing

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