In the Guitar chord family, the B note is one of the chords that most beginner guitarists have a hard time with. For beginners, it’s hard to know where to put your fingers when using the traditional method.
No matter how we tried to play the chord, we couldn’t do it. Until a few changes happened, that made it easy for us to play in B minor.
In this lesson, you will learn several ways to play the Bm guitar chord. Also, we’ll talk about what a barre chord means, how to play B minor right, and four ways to make it easier to play B minor chord.
The Barre Chord
You might wonder why playing the B major and Bm chord is so hard. When you look up B minor, you will see something like a “barre” fretting several strings. This is a barre chord. Barre chords are harder to play than other notes because you have to flatten your knuckle over some of them while holding your finger down over others.
Other basic guitar chords featuring barre-ing are the C minor and G minor, commonly used in guitar playing. The B minor is perhaps the most straightforward barre chord to start with, though it still takes time to adjust, particularly if you are trying to switch chords quickly.
Since there are different ways to play Bm, we suggest you try each option below to see which one you like best. As you get better, you can move on to the barre chord.
The Correct Way to Play Bm chord on Guitar
The barre chord is the traditional way to play B minor. This version is the hardest to learn, but it will sound the best. To play:
- Put the tip of your index finger on the fifth string and flatten your knuckle down to the first. The barre comprises the pushed-down group, which covers the A, D, G, B, and E strings. For the Bm chord, you don’t use low E.
- Behind the third fret, put your middle finger on the second string, which is the B string. The ring finger goes behind the fourth fret on the D string, which is the fourth string.
- Lastly, put your pinky finger right behind the fourth fret on the G string, which is the third string. To make the best Bm chord, don’t pluck the sixth string.
Note:
If you arch your fingers, you won’t be able to mute any other strings because you’ll be playing from the tips of your fingers. Also, place your fingers right behind the frets instead of on top.
Different Ways in Playing B Minor Chord
Since there are different ways to play Bm, we suggest you try each option below to find the one you like best. As you get better, you can move on to the barre chord.
Alternative 1:
The first alternative to the Bm chord keeps your fingers in about the same positions without the barre. Even though it’s not a real B minor, it has a full sound. Still, it’s a pretty easy way to start learning how to play B minor. You’ll notice that this chord sounds much like the B chord, which is its major equivalent.
- Place your index finger behind the second fret on the first string or high E string.
- The third fret of the second, or B, the string should be where your middle finger rests.
- The ring finger is close to the fourth fret on the D string, which is the fourth string.
- Lastly, put your pinky finger on the third string’s fourth fret.
Alternative 2:
This alternative only needs three fingers instead of the usual four. This way makes a satisfying sound without putting too much pressure on your fingers.
- Put your index finger behind the second fret on the first or high E string.
- Put your middle finger at the third fret on the second, or B, string.
- Finish it off by putting your ring finger on the fourth fret of the third string (D).
You may notice that this version is similar to the last one, but you don’t use your pinky finger this time. Instead, you use your ring finger. The sound isn’t as full as before, but it’s still close enough to the real B minor sound that most people won’t notice.
Please note that always keep your fingers arched behind the frets, so you don’t silence the strings and make a muddy sound. You need to build up your finger strength to be a great guitar player.
Alternative 3:
If the previous versions were too hard for you, there is another way to make a Bm chord: the Bm7. Even though it is not exactly B minor, it is a variation in the seventh degree of the scale. Because of this difference, the Bm7 has a different tone than the Bm. Any way you look, it will help you play the traditional B minor.
For the Bm7 chord:
- Put your index finger behind the second fret of the fifth or A string.
- The second fret of the third, or G, the string is where your middle finger goes.
- Lastly, your ring finger goes behind the second fret of the first, or high E, string.
- Don’t put anything on the second, fourth, and sixth strings.
To get the best sound, ensure only your fingertips are on the strings and right behind the frets. Since this chord sounds different from the usual Bm, you should be careful when using it in songs. First, try it out to see if it changes the way the song sounds or if it fits right in.
Alternative 4:
If that wasn’t easy enough, we also know how to play B minor in the easiest way possible. This is the best B minor chord alternative. So simple that you can do it with just two fingers. Even though it’s not as close to Bm as the Bm7 chord, it’s in the same area.
B minor guitar chords using only two fingers
- Put your index finger behind the second fret of the fifth (A) string to start.
- Put your middle finger on the second fret of the G string, the third string. That was simple!
As always, only your fingertips should touch the string and stay behind the frets. Be careful, though. This chord is a really easy way to play B minor, but it sounds slightly different from the actual note.
You can start here, but to improve the sound of your music, you’ll need to move on to more advanced techniques.
Final Thoughts
The Bm guitar chord is a fairly common yet difficult chord that can be used in various ways to create different sounds and tones. In this article, we’ve shown you four different approaches to playing the Bm chord on your Guitar.
Try out these techniques and see which works best for you. Once you’ve mastered the basic Bm chord, experiment with adding some additional notes and variations to create even more unique sounds. With a little practice, you’ll be able to play the Bm chord like a pro!
