Chord · B Major (2nd Inversion)
B/5 Chord
B/5 is F#, B and D# — major triad with the fifth in the bass.
B/5 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/5 is made of
B Major (2nd Inversion) (B major (2nd inversion)) is built from the notes F#, B, D#, with the interval pattern 5, 1, 3. A common major (2nd inversion) chord across many styles.
Stack 5, 1 and 3 on a root of B and you get F#, B and D#. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a major second inversion chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C/5 sounds like a transposed B/5.
Major (2nd Inversion): Major triad with the fifth 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 F♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain B/5
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 second inversion shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about B/5
- What notes are in the B/5 chord?
- B/5 is made of F#, B and D# — the 5, 1 and 3 degrees of a major second inversion chord built on B.
- What keys use the B/5 chord?
- Every note of B/5 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/5 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows B/5 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/5 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.