B major scale on piano
The B major scale uses the notes B - C♯ - D♯ - E - F♯ - G♯ - A♯ and has 5 sharps.
Numbers on the keys are right-hand fingers (1 = thumb, 5 = little finger).
B major scale fingering
| Hand | B | C♯ | D♯ | E | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Practice each hand alone, slowly, until the thumb crossing feels smooth. Then play hands together at a tempo where you make no mistakes, and raise it a little each day.
Chords in B major
Build a triad on every note of the scale and you get the seven chords that belong to this key:
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | B major | B - D♯ - F♯ |
| ii | C♯ minor | C♯ - E - G♯ |
| iii | D♯ minor | D♯ - F♯ - A♯ |
| IV | E major | E - G♯ - B |
| V | F♯ major | F♯ - A♯ - C♯ |
| vi | G♯ minor | G♯ - B - D♯ |
| vii° | A♯ diminished | A♯ - C♯ - E |
The most common progression in pop music in this key is B - F♯ - G♯m - E (I - V - vi - IV).
Relative key
G♯ minor is the relative minor of B major. Both scales use the same notes; they simply start on a different note, which changes the mood.
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the B major scale?
B major: B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, B.
How many sharps or flats are in B major?
B major has 5 sharps (C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯).
What is the relative minor of B major?
G♯ minor. It shares the same notes and key signature as B major.