Unlocking the Bm Guitar Chord: Beginner-Friendly Guide and Easy Versions

The B minor (Bm) guitar chord. Just the name can send shivers down a beginner guitarist’s spine! It’s widely known as one of the trickiest chords to learn early on, and if you’re finding it tough, you’re definitely in good company. Many guitar students feel frustrated by the standard Bm chord, and that’s precisely why we’ve created this lesson – to make learning Bm accessible and achievable for everyone.

In this guide, you’ll discover:

How to play the standard Bm guitar chord correctly, understanding its structure.
Beginner-friendly alternatives to the standard Bm chord that are much easier to fret.
A super simple, two-finger version of the Bm chord that’s perfect for absolute beginners.

Over 100,000 guitar enthusiasts are already receiving our top-notch guitar tips and tutorials directly to their inbox. Join them and level up your guitar skills! Click here to subscribe

Mastering the Standard Bm Chord Shape

So, what makes the Bm chord so notoriously difficult? The answer lies in the barre. The standard Bm chord is a barre chord, meaning you need to use your index finger to press down multiple strings at once.

For those new to the term, “barring” or “using a barre” simply means using your first finger to flatten across the fretboard, pressing down several strings simultaneously.

Here’s how the standard Bm chord is typically notated in chord diagrams:

Bm Chord (Standard Barre)

(If you’re unfamiliar with reading guitar chord diagrams, don’t worry! Check out our comprehensive guide: “Decoding Guitar Chordboxes in Under a Minute“. It will clarify everything you need to know!)

Standard Bm guitar chord diagram

As you can see from the diagram, this is indeed a challenging chord. It demands a good level of finger strength and dexterity to barre effectively and ensure all notes ring out clearly. While achievable, consistently playing this standard Bm chord shape quickly and cleanly is generally a milestone for intermediate guitar players.

Quick Tip: Before tackling any guitar chords, especially barre chords, make sure your guitar is properly tuned. A reliable tuner is essential. We highly recommend the Snark ST-8. This clip-on tuner is incredibly accurate and user-friendly, tuning your guitar by sensing its vibrations. Pretty neat, right?

🇺🇸 Find the Snark ST-8 on Sweetwater

🇬🇧 Get the Snark ST-8 on Amazon.co.uk

For beginner guitarists, jumping straight into this standard Bm can be discouraging. Thankfully, there are easier alternatives that allow you to play a Bm chord without the full barre. Let’s explore those now!

The “No Barre” Bm Chord: An Easier Alternative?

Often, beginner guitar lessons introduce a simplified “no barre” version of the Bm chord. It looks like this:

Bm Chord (No Barre Version)

I have to be honest, while this version is technically easier than the full barre Bm, I’m not convinced it’s the best option for absolute beginners. Yes, it eliminates the barre, but many students still find this chord shape quite fiddly and challenging to fret cleanly. The finger positioning can be awkward, and getting a clear sound from all the notes can still be tricky.

Therefore, I often recommend an even simpler version of the Bm chord – one that truly lives up to the “easy beginner chord” label.

My Go-To Easy Bm Chord: The Bm7

My favorite simplified Bm chord for beginners is actually a Bm7 (B minor seventh) chord. It’s a close relative of the Bm chord, sounds fantastic, and most importantly, is significantly easier to play than both the standard and “no barre” Bm shapes.

Bm7 Chord Shape

The Bm7 chord still uses three fingers, so it’s not the absolute simplest chord in existence. However, the beauty of the Bm7 shape is that all the fingers are positioned on the same fret (the 2nd fret). This uniformity makes it much easier to memorize and fret accurately.

In my experience teaching countless beginner guitarists, most can learn to play the Bm7 chord cleanly and consistently within just a few weeks of practice. It’s a fantastic stepping stone to the more challenging barre chords.

Unlock 12 Essential Beginner Chords with Our Free Guide

Ready to expand your chord vocabulary beyond Bm? Our popular beginner chord guide will equip you with 12 fundamental chords to kickstart your guitar journey!

Get Instant Access – Where Should We Send It?

✅ Stop struggling with difficult chords. Start making music you love.

✅ Learn beginner-friendly versions of every essential chord.

This is our most downloaded guide for a reason – it’s proven to accelerate your chord learning and get you playing songs faster! 😎

Personalized Guitar Learning Just For You 🎸

Want a structured path to guitar mastery tailored to your individual goals and learning style?

Discover your personalized guitar learning plan with GuitarMetrics™! Click here to get started

World-Class Guitar Education at Your Fingertips 🌎

Take your guitar playing to the next level with our comprehensive online guitar courses! Learn from world-renowned guitar educators and access a wealth of lessons, resources, and support. Explore our guitar courses

The Ultimate Cheat Code: The 2-Finger Bm Chord

For absolute beginners or those who are really struggling with finger coordination, there’s an even simpler version of the Bm chord: the 2-finger Bm.

Bm Chord (2-Finger Version)

Two-finger Bm guitar chord diagram

This 2-finger Bm chord is the ultimate simplification. While it doesn’t sound exactly like a full Bm7 or standard Bm (it’s not as harmonically rich), it still contains that crucial B root note, giving you a recognizable B minor sound. And most importantly, it is significantly easier to fret cleanly than any other Bm variation.

Choosing the Right Easy Bm for You

Ultimately, the “best” easy Bm chord for you depends on your current skill level and your goals. The 2-finger Bm is fantastic for getting started immediately and playing simple songs. The Bm7 offers a richer, more authentic B minor sound and is a great stepping stone towards barre chords.

Important: Watch Out for the 6th String!

Regardless of which simplified Bm chord version you choose, there’s a crucial detail to be aware of: avoid playing the 6th string (the thickest string). (If you’re unsure about string numbering, check out our guide: “Understanding Guitar String Numbers“).

The foundational note of a pure and clear Bm chord is the B note located on the 5th string (played by your index finger in the 2-finger and Bm7 versions). Strumming the 6th string can muddy the sound and detract from the B minor tonality.

Close-up of Bm7 chord fingering emphasizing string skipping
Alt text: Image highlighting correct finger placement for Bm7 chord and emphasizing avoiding the 6th string for clean sound.

“Skipping Strings While Strumming Sounds Too Hard!”

I understand, the idea of intentionally avoiding the 6th string while strumming might seem daunting at first. It’s definitely a skill to develop, and it’s perfectly normal to find it challenging initially.

Don’t get bogged down in trying to achieve perfect string skipping from day one. It’s far more important to simply start strumming and get a feel for the chord.

Free Lesson: Mastering String Skipping While Strumming

With consistent practice and repetition, your accuracy will improve rapidly, and you’ll naturally become more adept at controlling your strumming. However, if you get stuck in “analysis paralysis,” trying to perfect every detail before you even start strumming, you’ll hinder your progress. Don’t fall into this trap! 🙂 Just start playing!

“I Want to Learn the ‘Real’ Bm Chord Right Away!”

I often hear this from determined beginners, and I admire the ambition!

However, consider this: Our long-term goal is indeed for you to be able to strum a standard barre Bm chord cleanly, avoiding the 6th string. That’s the ultimate aim. But it’s a challenging skill that’s simply beyond the reach of most absolute beginners.

Trying to force yourself to learn the full barre Bm too early can actually slow down your overall progress and lead to frustration. Trust me, I’ve seen students try both approaches, and the easier versions are clear winners for early learning.

In the short term, your priority should be to develop comfort and confidence holding and strumming the guitar. Our initial goal is to get you playing and enjoying music. As you gain experience, refining chords like Bm (and other barre chords) will become progressively easier.

Beyond the Basics: Other Bm Chord Variations

Yes, there are numerous other ways to play Bm chords up the guitar neck, but these are generally more advanced and not suitable for beginners. For now, focus on mastering one (or all!) of these beginner-friendly versions. 🙂

If you’re still finding it challenging, stick with the super-easy 2-finger Bm and keep practicing. Consistency is key! With a little time and dedication, you’ll conquer the Bm chord and be well on your way to guitar mastery. Who knows, maybe one day your guitar skills will be legendary!

What Kind of Guitarist Are You Destined To Be?

Take our fun 60-second quiz and discover your unique guitarist profile! Take the Quiz Now

Join the World’s Leading Online Guitar Community 🌎

Personalized Learning Paths: Get a customized guitar learning plan designed specifically for YOU.
World-Class Courses: Learn at your own pace with engaging and comprehensive online guitar courses.
Thriving Community: Connect with fellow guitarists and our expert team in our friendly Community Campus & Learning Forum. 😊
Beginner-Friendly Song Library: Access a vast library of songs with chordsheets, tabs, and helpful playing tips (suitable for all skill levels!).
Live Events & Q&A Sessions: Learn directly from world-class guitar educators in regular live streams, seminars, and Q&A sessions – get all your questions answered in real-time!

Unlock Your Guitar Potential – Explore National Guitar Academy Membership

Gear Up in Style: Cool Guitar T-Shirts 😎

Show off your passion for guitar! Browse our exclusive collection of cool guitar t-shirts and merch. Visit our Merch Store

Want Free Guitar Tips & Video Lessons Delivered Straight to Your Inbox?

Join over 100,000 guitar learners and subscribe to our free email guitar tips service!

We’ll send you a curated series of lessons designed to propel you to the next level of your guitar journey.

Discover how everything connects in a clear, simple, and effective way. We share both quick “ninja” tips for instant progress and foundational principles for long-term understanding.