Key of B major
The key of B major has five sharps — F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯. Its scale runs B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯, and building a triad on each of those seven notes — stacking thirds from the scale itself — produces the key's seven chords.
That gives three major chords, three minor chords and one diminished chord. The majors — B (I), E (IV) and F♯ (V) — are the workhorses that carry most songs in the key; the minors C♯m (ii), D♯m (iii) and G♯m (vi) supply the softer colors, and A♯° (vii°) appears mostly as a passing chord.
Relative minor: G♯ minor — the same seven chords, with G♯m as home base.
The seven chords of B major
Common questions
- What chords are in the key of B major?
- The seven chords in the key of B major are B (I), C♯m (ii), D♯m (iii), E (IV), F♯ (V), G♯m (vi) and A♯° (vii°).
- What is the relative minor of B major?
- G♯ minor. The two keys share the same key signature and the same seven chords — G♯ minor simply treats G♯m, not B, as home.
- How many sharps or flats does B major have?
- B major has five sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯.