How to Play the B minor chord on the guitar

The B minor chord (Bm chord) is very useful and has appeared in many songs, but can be a bit difficult to play for a beginner. The main reason is that this chord requires barricade technique. In other words, you have to use one finger to hold multiple strings at once. ^{[1] X Research Source} However, the easiest way to learn to play this chord is to simplify or eliminate string blocking altogether. This article will show three different ways, both barricaded and non-barred, so that learners can practice playing the B minor chord.

Table of Contents

Playing the Si minor chord on 3 strings (for beginners)

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/1/18/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-1-Version-6.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-1-Version-6.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/1/18/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-1-Version-6.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-1-Version-6.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Place the first finger. To practice playing the minor chord in this simple way, the index finger needs to press the second fret on the first E string. ^{[2] X Research Source}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/a/ab/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-2-Version-6.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-2-Version-6.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/a/ab/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-2-Version-6.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-2-Version-6.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Place the second finger. Next, use your middle finger to press the second three-string number pad. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/5/51/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-3-Version-6.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-3-Version-6.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/5/51/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-3-Version-6.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-3-Version-6.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Place the third finger. Finally, use your ring finger to press the third Son four-string number key. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/1/1e/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-4-Version-6.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-4-Version-6.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/1/1e/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-4-Version-6.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-4-Version-6.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Let the fourth D string let go. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/7/71/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-5-Version-5.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-5-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/7/71/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-5-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-5-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Play chords. Starting from the D string let go, use a plectrum or your thumb to swipe down the D, Son, Si and Mi strings to play the Si minor chord. Do not touch the sixth E string and the fifth A string. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Plays a minor chord on 5 strings (Intermediate level)

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/9/93/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-6-Version-5.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-6-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/9/93/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-6-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-6-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Block the string with your first finger. The concept of “blocking” means using one finger to press many strings at the same time. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

In this intermediate way of playing, the first thing is to place your first finger on the fifth A two-stringed number pad.
Use your fingers to squeeze all the strings from La to Mi to the face of the key.
At this time, all five strings are close to the number two fret.

Carlos Alonzo Rivera, MA

Professional guitarist

Carlos Alonzo Rivera is a guitarist, composer and educator based in San Francisco. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of California at Chico City and a Master of Music in classical guitar performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He is good at composing music genres such as classical, jazz, rock, metal and blues.

Carlos Alonzo Rivera, MA
Professional guitarist

Expert opinion: To block with your index finger, you need to squeeze your fingers as close to the fret as possible, while curling the other fingers like a C shape.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/c/c3/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-7-Version-5.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-7-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/c/c3/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-7-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-7-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Place the second finger. Similar to the previous method, use your second finger to press the second three-string number key. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e7/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-8-Version-5.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-8-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e7/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-8-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-8-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Place the third finger. Unlike the previous method, now the third finger presses the fourth D four string number pad. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Play the Si minor chord on 6 strings (Advanced level)

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/4/4f/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-11-Version-4.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-11-Version-4.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/4/4f/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-11-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-11-Version-4.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Block the string with your first finger. This time, stretch your first finger across all six strings. ^{[12] X Research Source}

First, place your index finger on the sixth Mi two-string number pad.
Press your fingers to squeeze all the strings against the fretboard.
At this time, all six strings are close to the number two fret.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e7/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-12-Version-5.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-12-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e7/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-12-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-12-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Place the second finger. Just like the above methods, use your second finger to press the second Si three-string number key. ^{[13] X Research Source}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/8/8a/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-13-Version-5.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-13-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/8/8a/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-13-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-13-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Place the third finger. Similar to the intermediate level, use your third finger to press the fourth D drag number pad. ^{[14] X Research Source}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/1/18/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-14-Version-5.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-14-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/1/18/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-14-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-14-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Place the fourth finger. Finally, use your fourth finger to press the third Son four-string number key, right next to the third finger. ^{[15] X Research Source}

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/7/75/Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-15-Version-5.jpg/v4-460px- Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-15-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/7/75/Play-a- Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-15-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Play-a-Bm-Chord-on-Guitar-Step-15-Version-5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Play chords. For this complete method, the player will hit all six strings, so keep playing all the strings from the top. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Advice

Try not to play the wrong strings on the beginner and intermediate levels as this will make the chords sound bad.
Use only the first finger when performing the blocking technique, or you will lose the sound of the string letting go.
Use the fingering guide to remember where to place your fingers and strings. You can find useful samples here.
Barre chords (or chords played by blocking the string with your fingers) will become easier with practice. Here’s an exercise to help you master the barre chord.
When learning chords, knowing how to place your fingers is not enough. Moving from one chord to another is true mastery. Try practicing chord transitions according to these exercises to practice. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Warning

Avoid moving your fingers too fast or pressing too hard when playing chords to avoid injury.

Steps

Playing the Si minor chord on 3 strings (for beginners)

Plays a minor chord on 5 strings (Intermediate level)

Play the Si minor chord on 6 strings (Advanced level)

Advice

Warning

Related Posts