# B Major piano chord (B)

B contains B, D♯ and F♯. A major third with a perfect fifth above the root. D♯ and F♯ are black keys; B is white.

- Canonical page: https://piano.org/chords/major/b/
- Entity: chord:major:b
- Notes: B D♯ F♯
- Formula: 1 3 5
- Intervals from root: P1, M3, P5
- Interval stack (semitones): 4 3
- Also written: B, B, B major
- Parameters: A440, 12-TET, 165 mm octave, spans centre to centre

## Construction

| Degree | Note | Interval from root | Semitones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | B | Perfect unison | 0 |
| 3 | D♯ | Major third | 4 |
| 5 | F♯ | Perfect fifth | 7 |

## Fingering

Rest your right hand over the notes with finger 1 on B, finger 3 on D♯, finger 5 on F♯. The left hand mirrors it.
Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. Source: piano.org fingering method v1.

## Inversions

| Position | Bass | Notes in order | Figured bass | Span |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Root position | B | B3 D♯4 F♯4 | 5/3 | 7 st, 96 mm |
| First inversion (B/D♯) | D♯ | D♯4 F♯4 B4 | 6/3 | 8 st, 110 mm |
| Second inversion (B/F♯) | F♯ | F♯4 B4 D♯5 | 6/4 | 9 st, 124 mm |

## Voicings (5)

| Voicing | Notes | Span | Relation | Omits or adds |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Close, root position | B3 D♯4 F♯4 | 7 st, 96 mm | identical | none |
| Close, first inversion | D♯4 F♯4 B4 | 8 st, 110 mm | identical | none |
| Close, second inversion | F♯4 B4 D♯5 | 9 st, 124 mm | identical | none |
| Open, fifth on top | B2 F♯3 D♯4 | 16 st, 220 mm | identical | none |
| Root and third only | B3 D♯4 | 4 st, 55 mm | subset | omits F♯ |

## Diatonic function by key

| Key | Roman numeral | Function |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C♯ minor | ♭VII | Subtonic |
| E♭ minor | ♭VI | Pre-dominant color |
| E major | V | Dominant, wants to resolve |
| G♭ major | IV | Subdominant, away from home |
| G♯ minor | ♭III | Relative-major color |
| B major | I | Tonic, home |

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

## Progressions (7)

| Progression | Key | Role | Sequence | Voice leading |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ♭VII, i | C♯ minor | ♭VII | B to C♯m | B opens the phrase |
| ♭VI, iv, i, v | E♭ minor | ♭VI | C♭ to A♭m to E♭m to B♭m | B opens the phrase |
| i, ♭VI | E♭ minor | ♭VI | E♭m to C♭ | 2 tones held from E♭m |
| V, I | E major | V | B to E | B opens the phrase |
| ii, V, I | E major | V | F♯m to B to E | 1 tone held from F♯m |
| IV, V, I | G♭ major | IV | C♭ to D♭ to G♭ | B opens the phrase |
| I, IV | G♭ major | IV | G♭ to C♭ | 1 tone held from G♭ |

## One-edit neighbors

| Becomes | Edit | Changes | Common tones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bmaj7 | 1 3 5 7 | adds A♯ | 3 |
| B7 | 1 3 5 ♭7 | adds A | 3 |
| B6 | 1 3 5 6 | adds G♯ | 3 |
| Badd9 | 1 3 5 9 | adds C♯ | 3 |
| Bm | 1 ♭3 5 | D♯ becomes D | 2 |
| Baug | 1 3 ♯5 | F♯ becomes F× | 2 |
| Bsus2 | 1 2 5 | D♯ becomes C♯ | 2 |
| Bsus4 | 1 4 5 | D♯ becomes E | 2 |
| Bm7 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | D♯ becomes D, A | 2 |
| BmMaj7 | 1 ♭3 5 7 | D♯ becomes D, A♯ | 2 |
| Baug7 | 1 3 ♯5 ♭7 | F♯ becomes F×, A | 2 |
| B7sus4 | 1 4 5 ♭7 | D♯ becomes E, A | 2 |

## Set theory

- Absolute pitch classes: {11, 3, 6}
- Relative pitch classes: [0, 4, 7]
- Normal order: [11, 3, 6]
- Prime form: (037)
- Forte number: 3-11
- Interval vector: <001110>

## Frequencies (close root position)

| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| B3 | 59 | 246.94 Hz |
| D♯4 | 63 | 311.13 Hz |
| F♯4 | 66 | 369.99 Hz |

## Questions and answers

### What notes are in B?

B contains B, D♯ and F♯. The formula is 1, 3, 5.

### How do you play B on piano?

Play B, D♯ and F♯ together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. D♯ and F♯ are black keys; B is white.

### What are the inversions of B?

3 positions: root position B D♯ F♯, B/D♯, B/F♯.

### What keys contain B?

6: ♭VII in C♯ minor, ♭VI in E♭ minor, V in E major, IV in G♭ major, ♭III in G♯ minor, I in B major.

### What is the difference between B and Bmaj7?

Adds A♯. 3 of the notes are shared.

### What is an easy B for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, B3 D♯4, spans 4 semitones or about 55 mm.

### What are the frequencies of B?

From B3 at A440 in 12-TET: 246.94, 311.13, 369.99 Hz.

### What is the set class of B?

Prime form (037), Forte 3-11, interval vector &lt;001110&gt;.

### How do I transpose B to another key?

Keep the 1, 3, 5 formula on the new root. C is C, E, G; C♯ is C♯, E♯, G♯.

### Is C♭ the same as B?

Enharmonically yes: the same piano keys and the same sound, spelled differently.

## Provenance

Every derived value above is computed by the piano.org theory kernel from the root, the quality and the stated parameters. Nothing is hand-entered per chord.

Machine record: https://piano.org/api/knowledge/v1/entities/chord:major:b
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12