Chord · B Major (1st Inversion)
B/3 Chord
B/3 is D#, F# and B — major triad with the third in the bass.
B/3 on every instrument
The same 3 notes, 1 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What B/3 is made of
B Major (1st Inversion) (B major (1st inversion)) is built from the notes D#, F#, B, with the interval pattern 3, 5, 1. A common major (1st inversion) chord across many styles.
Stack 3, 5 and 1 on a root of B and you get D#, F# and B. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a major first inversion chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why E/3 sounds like a transposed B/3.
Major (1st Inversion): Major triad with the third in the bass.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with D♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain B/3
All 3 notes sit inside the scale of 10 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on B
Same root, different colour.
The same major first inversion shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about B/3
- What notes are in the B/3 chord?
- B/3 is made of D#, F# and B — the 3, 5 and 1 degrees of a major first inversion chord built on B.
- What keys use the B/3 chord?
- Every note of B/3 belongs to 10 keys: E Major (V), B Major (I), F# Major (IV), Gb Major (IV), Cb Major (I), C# Minor (VII), G# Minor (III), D# Minor (VI), Eb Minor (VI), Ab Minor (III). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play B/3 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows B/3 on piano — 1 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why B/3 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.