B♯ Minor Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes

The B♯ Minor chord is built on the root note B♯. Its notes are B♯, D♯ and F𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as C Minor.

Minor chords have a darker, more introspective quality. A root, a minor third and a perfect fifth give them a reflective, sometimes sad character that's common in ballads, folk and film scores.

Root
Quality

B♯ Minor on piano

View:
Piano diagram of the B♯ Minor chord

Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.

To play B♯ Minor on piano, place your right-hand thumb on B♯, middle finger on D♯, and little finger on F𝄪. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.

B♯ Minor on guitar

View:
Guitar chord diagram of the B♯ Minor chord

Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.

On guitar, B♯ Minor is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre shape: keep the index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram.

Play the chord

B♯ Minor
B♯ · D♯ · F𝄪

B♯ Minor chord notes

Formula: 1 · ♭3 · 5Notes: B♯ · D♯ · F𝄪Also known as: C Minor
DegreeIntervalSemitonesNote
1Root0B♯(B#)
♭3Minor third3D♯(D#)
5Perfect fifth7F𝄪(F##)

How to use the B♯ Minor chord

The B♯ Minor chord is built from a root, a minor third and a perfect fifth. Start at the root B♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B♯, D♯ and F𝄪. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.

Minor chords are everywhere in rock, pop, classical and film music. They often act as the vi chord in major keys or as the i, iv and v in a natural minor key.

Common progressions

The B♯ Minor chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.

Emotional progression
vi → IV → I → V
Natural minor progression
i → VI → III → VII
Minor blues
i → iv → v → i

Scales that contain B♯m

These scales include B♯m as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.

Once B♯ Minor feels comfortable, the chords below open up new progressions. Each one shares notes, keys or a harmonic function with it, which is what makes it the natural place to go next.

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B♯ Minor chord?
The B♯ Minor chord contains B♯, D♯ and F𝄪 (B#, D# and F## in plain text).
Is the B♯ Minor chord major or minor?
B♯ Minor is a minor chord. Minor chords have a darker, more introspective quality. A root, a minor third and a perfect fifth give them a reflective, sometimes sad character that's common in ballads, folk and film scores.
How do you play B♯ Minor on piano?
Place your fingers on B♯, D♯ and F𝄪 and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right.
How do you play B♯ Minor on guitar?
B♯ Minor is typically played with the fingering shown in the diagram above. If one of the chord tones lines up with an open string, an open position is worth trying too.
What is another name for the B♯ Minor chord?
B♯ Minor is enharmonically equivalent to C Minor. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.

Keep exploring

Deepen your understanding of the B♯ Minor chord with our other music theory tools.