B Major: Notes, Chords and Scale
B major is a major key. Its key signature has 5 sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯. Its scale is B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, and its seven diatonic chords are B, C♯m, D♯m, E, F♯, G♯m, A♯dim. Below are the 7th chords, Roman numerals, related keys, the Camelot code and a keyboard diagram.
Key signature
5♯
Relative key
Parallel key
Camelot code
1B
Notes
B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯
Chords in B major
- IBB D♯ F♯
- iiC♯mC♯ E G♯
- iiiD♯mD♯ F♯ A♯
- IVEE G♯ B
- VF♯F♯ A♯ C♯
- viG♯mG♯ B D♯
- vii°A♯dimA♯ C♯ E
Seventh chords
- Imaj7Bmaj7B D♯ F♯ A♯
- ii7C♯m7C♯ E G♯ B
- iii7D♯m7D♯ F♯ A♯ C♯
- IVmaj7Emaj7E G♯ B D♯
- V7F♯7F♯ A♯ C♯ E
- vi7G♯m7G♯ B D♯ F♯
- viiø7A♯m7♭5A♯ C♯ E G♯
How to use these chords
- I, IV and V (B, E, F♯) are the primary chords. Together they contain all seven notes of the scale.
- vi (G♯m) and iii (D♯m) each share two notes with I, and ii (C♯m) shares two notes with IV, so these minor chords often stand in for them.
- V7 (F♯7) contains the leading tone, A♯, which pulls up to the root, so it resolves strongly to I. vii° (A♯dim) has the same upper three notes as V7 and is mostly used as a passing chord.
- Common progressions, in Roman numerals: I V vi IV (B, F♯, G♯m, E); I vi IV V (B, G♯m, E, F♯); ii V I (C♯m, F♯, B); ii7 V7 Imaj7 (C♯m7, F♯7, Bmaj7).
Common uses of B major
- B major shares its seven notes and its key signature with its relative minor, G♯ minor.
- On a piano, 5 of its seven notes are black keys.
- The root note, B, is an open string on a guitar in standard tuning (E A D G B E), so it can ring under the chords.
- In the Camelot system DJs use for harmonic mixing, B major is 1B; tracks in 12B, 2B and 1A usually mix smoothly with it.
- Open B major in the Scale and Chord Finder
- Find your song's key from the audio: Detect Key and BPM
- Camelot Wheel: 1B
- Write chords or MIDI in B major with MIDI LabMIDI Lab, from the same team as SongTools, writes chord progressions, bass, drums and melody as MIDI from a prompt.
- G♯ minor: notes and chords
- All 24 major and minor keys
Questions about B major
What chords are in B major?
The seven chords in B major are B, C♯m, D♯m, E, F♯, G♯m, A♯dim (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°). As seventh chords they are Bmaj7, C♯m7, D♯m7, Emaj7, F♯7, G♯m7, A♯m7♭5.
What notes are in the B major scale?
B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯. Its key signature has 5 sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯.
What is the relative minor of B major?
G♯ minor. It uses the same seven notes and key signature as B major, starting from G♯. The parallel minor, B minor, starts on the same note as B major but has a different key signature.
What is the Camelot code for B major?
1B. Next to it on the Camelot wheel are 12B and 2B, and 1A is its relative minor, G♯ minor.