B Major Chord on Piano: Notes, Fingering & Inversions

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	B, D♯, F♯	1-3-5
Left	B, D♯, F♯	5-3-1

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	B	Perfect unison	0
3	D♯	Major third	4
5	F♯	Perfect fifth	7

Construction

B Major = Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 5th = B, D♯, F♯

Note	Interval	Degree
B	Root	1
D♯	Major 3rd	3
F♯	Perfect 5th	5

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
B	white	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
D♯	black	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
F♯	black	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on B, middle finger (3) on D♯, little finger (5) on F♯.

Left hand: little finger (5) on B, middle finger (3) on D♯, thumb (1) on F♯.

B Major Inversions

Root position
B – D♯ – F♯
1st inversion (B/D♯)
D♯ – F♯ – B
2nd inversion (B/F♯)
F♯ – B – D♯

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the B Major is the tonic (I) chord of B Major, whose key signature has 5 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯).

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of B Major

These are the triads built on each degree of B Major:

I — B Major (major)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	I	B Major	Major
2	ii	C♯ Minor	Minor
3	iii	D♯ Minor	Minor
4	IV	E Major	Major
5	V	F♯ Major	Major
6	vi	G♯ Minor	Minor
7	vii°	A♯ Diminished	Diminished

How B Major functions in a key

The same chord takes on a different harmonic role depending on the key it appears in. Here is where B Major sits diatonically across the common keys:

In B major, B Major is the I chord — the tonic.
In D♯ minor, B Major is the VI chord — the tonic.
In E major, B Major is the V chord — the dominant.
In F♯ major, B Major is the IV chord — a predominant.
In C♯ minor, B Major is the ♭VII chord — a mediant / color chord.
In G♯ minor, B Major is the III chord — a mediant / color chord.

Scales That Include the B Major

E Major (V)
B Major (I)
F# Major (IV)
C# Minor (VII)
G# Minor (III)
Eb Minor (VI)
F# Dorian (IV)
G# Phrygian (III)

B Major : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the B Major chord on piano?

The B Major chord contains the notes B – D♯ – F♯. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.

What notes make up the B Major chord?

B Major contains three notes: B (root), D# (major third), and F# (perfect fifth). It has two black keys, D# and F#, making it one of the more challenging major chords for beginners.

What fingering do I use for B Major?

Right hand: finger 1 on B, finger 3 on D#, finger 5 on F#. Left hand: finger 5 on B, finger 3 on D#, finger 1 on F#. Both D# and F# are black keys, so fingers 1, 3, and 5 span two black keys between two white keys.

What are the inversions of B Major?

First inversion (B/D#): D#–F#–B. Second inversion (B/F#): F#–B–D#. B/F# in the bass is commonly used in classical progressions and allows a descending bass line through E–F#–B.

What songs use the B Major chord?

B Major is common in rock and pop. It appears in Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana), as the V chord in E Major songs, and as the IV chord in F# Major pieces. Many Beethoven and Chopin works use B Major in key passages.

What chords pair well with B Major?

In the key of B: E Major (IV), F# Major (V), and G# minor (vi). B–E–F# is the three-chord sequence. B–F#–G#m–E is the four-chord pop progression in the key of B.

Why is B Major considered harder than C or G Major?

B Major requires both the middle finger (D#) and pinky (F#) to press black keys simultaneously, which demands more control and wrist positioning than all-white-key chords. The hand must span across two black keys without the thumb or wrist collapsing.

B Major in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	B3 D♯4 F♯4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	D♯4 F♯4 B4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	F♯4 B4 D♯5	9	124 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	B2 F♯3 D♯4	16	220 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation	Fit
Root and third only	B3 D♯4	4	55 mm	omits F♯	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

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

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

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♭

Root motion, common tones and voice displacement are computed from pitch class sets. Roman numerals follow common practice functional harmony.

Which keys it belongs to

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.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

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

Frequencies

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

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {11, 3, 6}
Normal order: [11, 3, 6]
Prime form: (037)
Forte number: 3-11
Interval vector: <001110>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
B to D♯	Major third	4	4
B to F♯	Perfect fifth	7	5
D♯ to F♯	Minor third	3	3

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a major applied to the root B, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

B Major

Fingerings

B Major: notes and degrees