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B Chord

piano chord chart

The B major triad, more commonly called the B major chord or simply the B chord for short, consists of the notes B, D-sharp and F-sharp. Here it is on the treble clef staff:

… and on the piano:

As B major triad, the B chord consists of a major third plus a minor third. The interval from B to D-sharp is a major third, while the interval between D-sharp and F-sharp is a minor third.

Inversions of the B Chord

If the root of the B chord – B – is the bass note (i.e., the bottom note), then the chord is in root position:

If the third of the chord – D-sharp – is the bottom note, then the chord is in first inversion:

If the fifth of the chord – F-sharp – is the bass note, then the chord is in second inversion. (F-sharp is called the fifth of the chord because the interval from the root B to F-sharp is a fifth.)

B Major Arpeggios

If the notes of a chord are played one after the other, the chord is said to be arpeggiated. Here are the standard fingerings for arpeggios of the B chord. Make sure you learn these fingerings!

(If you don’t understand the below notation, you should start with my How to Read Sheet Music course.)

B major arpeggio in root position:

B major arpeggio in first inversion:

B major arpeggio in second inversion:

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