Learn › B Minor Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
New Released in April 2026
B Minor Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
The B minor triad on guitar does not need six strings. Three notes, B, D and F#, on three strings give you Bm anywhere on the neck, in root position, 1st and 2nd inversion.
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- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
Three orders of the same three notes
An inversion just reorders B, D and F#. Bottom note B: root position. Bottom note D: 1st inversion. Bottom note F#: 2nd inversion.
Darker than major: the middle note of the major shape moves down one fret.
Connecting the inversions
Walk up the G-B-e strings through root position (fret 4) → 1st inversion (fret 7) → 2nd inversion (fret 12), then back down. The top notes F#, B, D change while the chord stays Bm.
One area of the neck, near fret 9, already holds four Bm shapes: G-B-e strings 7-7-7; D-G-B strings 9-7-7; A-D-G strings 9-9-7; E-A-D strings 10-9-9.
Bm on each string set
Start with the top three strings: the shapes are small and the top note is clear. Then move the same idea to the lower sets.
G-B-e strings
Root position
1st inversion
2nd inversion
D-G-B strings
2nd inversion
Root position
1st inversion
A-D-G strings
1st inversion
2nd inversion
Root position
E-A-D strings
2nd inversion
Root position
1st inversion
Practise Bm triads in four steps
- Start with the G-B-e strings only: three shapes, one minute each.
- Connect the shapes up and down the G-B-e strings, four strums per shape.
- Stay near fret 9 and find Bm on two different string sets.
- Last, switch between Bm and another triad in the same area of the neck.
Learn one string set per week and in a month the whole neck is yours.
All Bm triad frets in one table
| String set | Root position | 1st inversion | 2nd inversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-B-e strings | x x x 4 3 2 | x x x 7 7 7 | x x x 11 12 10 |
| D-G-B strings | x x 9 7 7 x | x x 12 11 12 x | x x 4 4 3 x |
| A-D-G strings | x 14 12 11 x x | x 5 4 4 x x | x 9 9 7 x x |
| E-A-D strings | 7 5 4 x x x | 10 9 9 x x x | 2 2 0 x x x |
Frets from the low E string to the high E string; x = string not played.
Test Bm with your guitar
ChordRunner listens to your guitar through the microphone: a chord name appears, you play it in any shape, and the game hears if the notes are right. A MIDI keyboard works too.
Play the demoCommon questions
How do you play Bm triads on the top strings?
On the G, B and high E strings: Root position 4-3-2; 1st inversion 7-7-7; 2nd inversion 11-12-10. Play only those three strings.
Why learn triad inversions on guitar?
They let you play Bm in any area of the neck with three fingers, so chord changes stay close and the top note can follow a melody.
What does a Bm triad sound like?
Darker than major: the middle note of the major shape moves down one fret.
Can I practise Bm with a game that listens to my guitar?
Yes. ChordRunner hears your guitar through the microphone and checks the chord in any shape or inversion. A USB MIDI keyboard works too.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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