B minor Chord
Most people find B minor when learning Hotel California. It's very common in songs, but also tricky for beginners because it's normally played with a barre. I'll show you an easy shape you can play today, and two barre shapes you can practice.
Position 1
F#BF#BDF#
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Position 2
BF#BDF#B
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Position 3
××BF#BD
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Position 4
××DF#BD
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B minor
Symbol: Bm
Notes: B, D, F#
Type: Minor
Variations: 4 positions shown
Easy (no barre, three fingers)
××DBDF#
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B minor
- Index finger on 2nd fret of high E string (1st string)
- Middle finger on 3rd fret of B string (2nd string)
- Ring finger on 4th fret of G string (3rd string)
Strum only the strings you're fretting. This shape is super easy.
Intermediate (four fingers)
××F#BDF#
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B minor
- Index finger on 2nd fret of high E string (1st string)
- Middle finger on 3rd fret of B string (2nd string)
- Ring finger on 4th fret of D string (4th string)
- Pinkie finger on 4th fret of G string (3rd string)
Strum the top four strings, sounds fuller. Also movable up/down the fretboard to play other minor chords.
Standard barre
F#BF#BDF#
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B minor
- Index finger barre across top five strings at 2nd fret; don't play low E
- Middle finger on 3rd fret of B string (2nd string)
- Ring finger on 4th fret of D string (4th string)
- Pinky on 4th fret of G string (3rd string)
This is the common Am-shape barre moved to the 2nd fret. Root (B) is on the A string. Strum from the A string down.
Common mistakes & fixes
- Buzzing sounds on barre: roll your index finger slightly onto its side and bring your elbow in.
- Muted high strings: keep the barre close to the fret wire, not in the middle of the fret. Get action checked if it's still hard
- Ring/pinky collapsing: keep them arched. Practice the shape without the barre first.
- Hand tires quickly: Fine. Do 10-30 seconds, rest. Repeat. Stop if you feel sharp pain.