How to Play the B Chord in all CAGED Shapes
This is video #8 in the series on how to play CAGED chords. You might be thinking that the letter B isn’t in the word CAGED, and you’d be right.
I’m including the B chord here to complete the picture by covering the two missing diatonic notes. We’ve already looked at C, A, G, E, and D—CAGED. Then, in video 7, we looked at the F chord. This final video is about B.
Put them all together and we’ve covered all seven natural notes: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
On the guitar, if we want to sharpen a note, we move it up a fret; to flatten it, we move it down a fret. By including B in this series, we’ve covered all the notes you’ll encounter before any sharps or flats are applied.
In this lesson, we’ll run through the CAGED system using the B chord, just like we did with F.
The lowest available shape is the A shape. It’s nearly impossible to play the full shape—it’s better used for visualising than actually playing.
When using the A shape, we have the following options:
- Strings 3–5: This gives us a B5 chord (no 3rd).
- Strings 2–5: This gives us a full B chord with the 3rd on string 2.
- Strings 2–4: This is also a full B chord, with the 5th in the bass—making it a second inversion.
- Strings 1–3: This is the only root position triad in this shape, containing the root, 3rd, and 5th.
B chord, G shape
Let’s move on to the next shape—the awkward one—the G shape.
If you’re just playing a major triad, like we are today, you’ll probably want to avoid this shape.
So what do we do instead? One of the best options is to use strings 2–4, and maybe add string 6 for a root—just skip string 5.
Let’s break it down:
- Strings 4–6: This gives you a very muddy chord—not ideal.
- Strings 3–5: The 3rd of the chord ends up in the bass. It works, but it’s not a great-sounding shape.
- Strings 2–4: This is a solid option—same voicing as the A shape.
- Strings 1–3: This isn’t great unless you start extending it into a maj7, dom7, or add a 6.
B chord, E shape
Let’s move up the fretboard—here’s a B chord using the E shape.
You can play the full shape, but you probably don’t want to—it involves too many strings and feels clunky.
Let’s break it down:
- Strings 4–6: This gives you a B5—there’s no 3rd.
- Strings 3–5: That’s a full B chord, but it’s not great. You’ll likely want to add the 6th string too.
- Strings 2–4: This is the best fraction of the E shape. You could also include the 6th string—just skip string 5.
- Strings 1–3: This works, but can sound a bit thin.
- Strings 1–4: A better choice, especially on acoustic.
B chord, D shape
Next up is the D shape. You can’t really play this full shape—it takes too long to fret and staying in tune is difficult.
- Strings 2–4: This gives you a B5—there’s no 3rd, so it’s not a full chord.
- Strings 1–3: This is the complete triad.
If you’ve seen the D shape video, you’ll know this shape becomes much more useful once we start extending it into maj7, dom7, or 6 chords.
B chord, C shape
Here’s the C shape. It’s a bit high up the neck on an acoustic guitar, but still playable.
The full shape is mainly for visualisation, not performance.
- Strings 3–5: This gives you the full chord, but it’s not the most practical.
- Strings 2–4: This is genuinely fantastic—great balance and clarity.
- Strings 1–3: Also great, and essentially the same as a D shape.
Conclusion: Major CAGED Shapes
That’s all the B chords using CAGED shapes. With this, we’ve now covered every major chord that isn’t sharp or flat.
The goal here is to:
- Learn all five CAGED shapes
- Understand the intervals within each shape
- Practise using fractions of each shape
- Visualise intervals around each shape
Once you can do this, you’ll be able to play all chord extensions, arpeggios, and modes across the neck.
Revisit the first five videos—C, A, G, E, and D chords—for a deeper look at each shape. The Chordacus and SWS apps will help you move everything around the neck and see how chords fit into any key in any position.
Most importantly, apply all of this to songs. Play every song you learn in every area of the neck.
This is the best way to learn guitar: take every song and extract as much from it as you can. Play every chord in all positions. Transcribe vocal melodies, keyboard licks, bass lines, and backing vocals.
Move these parts around the neck, and try them in different keys.
This way, you’ll cover all your scales, arpeggios, and chords—but in a musical context, not through dry exercises. You’ll become a musical player, not a mechanical one.
The more songs you run through this process, the better you’ll get.
The B Chord | Related Pages
Guitar chords
Explore how all major and minor chords are constructed using the CAGED system, a method that connects chord shapes across the entire fretboard.
By understanding how these five core shapes link together, you’ll gain the tools to extend chords, build arpeggios, and unlock scale patterns in every position on the guitar.
This essential framework lays the foundation for mastering harmony and navigating the fretboard with confidence.
The Bm chord
The final instalment in the chord series is the Bm chord. Since it can’t be played in open position, we must rely on CAGED shapes to navigate the neck.
Interestingly, the lowest Bm shape is the Am form. Once extended to a min7, it actually becomes a Cm shape.
Intermediate Acoustic
At the intermediate level, open-position chords are no longer enough. These songs require moving up the fretboard and using CAGED barre chords.
You’ll learn to add bass lines, incorporate riffs, extend chords, and even play vocal melodies.
Most importantly, you’ll develop second guitar parts so we can play these songs together.