B chords on ukulele

About the B chords on ukulele

Most songs that use B chords start from B major, the notes B–D♯–F♯. Its relative minor key is G sharp minor, which shares the same notes, so the chords of both keys mix naturally.

B appears in E major (V), B major (I), F sharp major (IV), E minor (V).

Triads are three-note chords, the backbone of most songs. The B triads are B (B–D♯–F♯), Bm (B–D–F♯), Bdim (B–D–F), Baug (B–D♯–F𝄪).

Seventh chords add a fourth note, a seventh above the root, for a richer or more tense sound: B7 (B–D♯–F♯–A), Bmaj7 (B–D♯–F♯–A♯), Bm7 (B–D–F♯–A), Bdim7 (B–D–F–A♭), Bm7♭5 (B–D–F–A), Bm(maj7) (B–D–F♯–A♯), Baug7 (B–D♯–F𝄪–A).

Extended and added-note chords stack a sixth, ninth, eleventh or thirteenth on top. On B: Badd9 (B–D♯–F♯–C♯), Bm(add9) (B–D–F♯–C♯), B6 (B–D♯–F♯–G♯), Bm6 (B–D–F♯–G♯), B9 (B–D♯–F♯–A–C♯), Bm9 (B–D–F♯–A–C♯), Bmaj9 (B–D♯–F♯–A♯–C♯), B11 (B–D♯–F♯–A–C♯–E), B13 (B–D♯–F♯–A–C♯–G♯), B7♯9 (B–D♯–F♯–A–C𝄪), B7♭9 (B–D♯–F♯–A–C), B6/9 (B–D♯–F♯–G♯–C♯), Badd11 (B–D♯–F♯–E).

Suspended chords replace the third with a second or fourth, so they sound open and unresolved: Bsus2 (B–C♯–F♯), Bsus4 (B–E–F♯), B7sus4 (B–E–F♯–A), B9sus4 (B–E–F♯–A–C♯).

On a GCEA ukulele the high G string is tuned an octave up, so B chords sound bright even in low positions. The diagrams show the easiest shape; each chord page has more shapes further up the neck.

Chords marked "diagram only" are less common and do not have their own page yet; the diagram and the notes above are all you need to play them.