Banjo Bm chord (Sawmill)B minor on the 5-string banjo: 4 4 2 4, and 6 more shapes
Frets, string 4 to string 1: 4 4 2 4 (first position)
- String 4 (D): 4th fret, middle finger, F♯
- String 3 (G): 4th fret, ring finger, B
- String 2 (C): 2nd fret, index finger, D
- String 1 (D): 4th fret, little finger, F♯
- String 5, the short g: open, G, not in the chord
Sounds: F♯ B D F♯ · Bm is B, D, F♯ (1 · ♭3 · 5)
Found in: G major (iii), A major (ii), D major (vi), A mixolydian (ii), D mixolydian (vi), A dorian (ii)
The 5th string: the short g rubs against the F♯ in this shape, a semitone away: some players let it ring, some skip it.
Sawmill tuning: gDGCD, the short 5th string first, then strings 4 to 1.
The link can’t set the tuning: the app starts in open G. Choose Sawmill once in its Settings and it remembers.
More Bm shapes
- 0 4 2 4
open - 4 4 2 0
open - 0 4 6 0
4fr - 9 7 6 9
6fr - 9 11 11 0
9fr - 12 11 11 12
11fr
Other B chords in Sawmill
Other minor chords
Bm in other tunings
All Sawmill banjo chords · Printable chart (PDF) · How to tune · The app