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The B major chord appears in many popular songs. However, the B chord is a bit difficult to execute on guitar, especially for beginners, and even for intermediate players.
We'll begin with a standard version of the B chord that is often the recommended choice for new guitarists. You can also scroll below for an easy way to play B major, as well as a moveable 6-string barre version.
This is a barre chord that requires you to fret 5 strings with the first finger. This makes the B chord a little tricky, but with a little patience, you can master it.
Here are a few tips to help you master this tricky fingering faster:
Extra tip:
Some players prefer to create a second mini-barre using the 3rd finger instead of using fingers 2-3-4. This may be a better option if you have thick fingers and have trouble squeezing 3 of them in the 4th fret. Keep in mind that the bottom of your 3rd finger will probably mute the 1st string, but that's ok since the chord is still complete without it (there's another F# on string 4).
A note on "bar chords": The traditional spelling is "barre", but many times you will see it spelled as "bar". So a "B bar chord" and a "B barre chord" are actually the same thing. Don't let that throw you off 😉.
The above B chord is already a moveable barre chord. But if you want a slightly easier barre fingering that covers all 6 strings, try the option below:
To use moveable chords effectively, you need to locate the notes on the fretboard really fast. I highly recommend that you get Fretboard Memorization Toolbox. It's a free mini-course that includes fun drills and musical challenges that will help you master the fretboard very quickly.
Guitar players love shortcuts. A shortcut for quickly playing a B major chord on the guitar, without the trouble of the barre, is to use the minimal voicing in the diagram below.
This produces a thinner chord, but it still sounds great in many songs and it includes all the chord degrees. Plus it's extremely easy to play on the guitar!
Fretboard Memorization Toolbox
Learn the Fretboard in 7 easy steps using fun drills and musical challenges.
Upgrade your chord vocabulary with many different barre chord types and voicings.