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B Major Chord
The B Major Chord is B, D-sharp, and F-sharp, with the thumb on a white key and two black keys above. The hand angles slightly toward the fallboard so the upper fingers can rest on the black keys. The sound is bright and ringing.
How to play the B Major Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the B Major Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.
The B Major Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the B major chord are stacked in thirds with B on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| B Major Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | B D♯ F♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | B |
The B Major Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (D♯) becomes the bottom note, and the root (B) jumps up to the top.
| B Major Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | D♯ F♯ B |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 5 |
| Chord Symbol | B6 or B/D♯ |
The B Major Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (F♯) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (D♯) goes to the top.
| B Major Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | F♯ B D♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | B6/4 or B/F♯ |
B Major Chord theory and function
A major chord is the most settled sound in tonal music. What it does depends on the key around it: it can be home, it can lead away from home, or it can pull back toward it.
The B major chord is the tonic (I) in B major and the dominant (V) in E major. In minor keys, it is the mediant (III) in G♯ minor, the subtonic (VII) in C♯ minor, and the dominant (V) in E minor.
Three chords, I, IV, and V, account for a great deal of the hymns, folk songs, and early classical pieces a student will meet. In B major that is B – E – F♯ – B. Try listening for the job the chord is doing: after the dominant it sounds like arriving, and after the tonic it sounds like stepping away.
Other chords built on B
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