When you’re learning to play the guitar, you’ll eventually need to master all the different chords. But what exactly is a chord? Basically, a chord is a combination of two or more notes played at once. To play a chord, you place your fingers on specific locations of the fret and strum certain strings.
Knowing even just a handful of chords can get you a long way in the world of guitar playing, but just imagine what you can do when you’ve learned all of the many different chord variations!
While there are many different chords for beginners to experiment with, our guide below focuses on how to play the B guitar chord, which also involves learning different variations such as B minor and B7.
Follow along to figure out how to play the B chord on the guitar, and you’ll be expanding your guitar repertoire before you know it!
How to Play the B Chord on Guitar
First things first, when someone refers to the simple B chord on guitar, they’re usually referring to the B major chord. With that said, there are several B chord guitar variations, such as B minor, B7, B minor 7, B major 7, and B5, among others.
In our guide, we’re going to keep it simple and cover B major, B minor, and B7.
B Major Guitar Chord
Let’s start with the B major chord on the guitar. Unlike some chords that involve open strings, B major requires you to fret every note. This one can be a little tricky to master, but there are several ways you can play it. Experiment with these two options to determine which feels most comfortable for you.
Option 1: 2nd position
- Place your index finger on the 2nd fret of the A string
- Put your middle finger on the 4th fret of the D string
- Insert your ring finger on the 4th fret of the G string
- Place your pinky finger on the 4th fret of the B string
With your fingers in position, strum all four strings below the A string.
Option 2: 7th position
- Place your index finger on the 7th fret of the low E string, E string, and G string
- Insert your ring finger on the 9th fret of the A string
- Put your pinky finger on the 9th fret of the D string
With this option, you’ll strum all six strings at once.
These are the most common ways to produce this chord, but it does require some practice, finger strength, and endurance. If you’re still having trouble with this positioning, check out some simpler variations here.
B Minor Guitar Chord
Once you’ve mastered that guitar chord, you’re ready to take on the B minor chord on the guitar. Like with the B major chord, you can produce this chord using a few different methods.
Option 1:
- Place your ring finger on the 4th fret of the G string
- Put your middle finger on the 3rd fret of the B string
- Insert index finger on the 2nd fret of the E string
Pressing your fingers down firmly, strum the three strings below the G string.
Option 2: Barre chord version
This version of the B minor chord involves using your index finger to fret multiple strings at once to produce the “barre chord.”
- Lay your index finger across the 2nd fret from the A to E strings
- Place your middle finger on the 3rd fret of the B string
- Put your ring finger on the 4th fret of the A string
- Insert your pinky finger on the 4th fret of the D string
Ensuring your fingers are properly placed on each fret, strum all the strings down from the A string.
B7 Chord
With the B major and minor chords under your belt, let’s move on to the B7 chord.
To produce this easy guitar chord:
- Place your index finger on the 1st fret of the D string
- Put your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the A string
- Lay your ring finger on the 2nd finger of the G string
- Insert your pinky finger on 2nd fret of the E string
Pressing firm with your fingers on the appropriate frets, strum the five strings down from the A string.
Tips for mastering guitar chords
Now that you have a better idea of how to play these chords, here are some tips and tricks for making them sound like perfection:
- Practice strumming each note individually to ensure you’re capturing each one in the chord.
- Go slowly to avoid developing sloppy or bad habits.
- Play these chords every day to encourage muscle memory in your fingers.
- Don’t try to learn ten chords all at once—master one before moving on to the next.
- Learn to feel your way around the frets, so you don’t always have to look down at your fingers.
- Experiment with barre chords to help with tricky progressions.
- If one chord option doesn’t feel right or comfortable for you, try different variations until you find one that does.
- Seek additional guidance from guitar teachers or fellow musicians.
You already know that practicing is a big part of learning to play an instrument, but did you know that private lessons can help your progression, too? When you study one-on-one with a private instructor, you receive individualized attention and customized lesson plans to help you accomplish all your music goals. Sign up for in-person or online guitar lessons with us today to improve your beginner guitar skills in no time!
