Minor chords on the guitar, in general, have a darker sound to them than major chords. The sounds they produce can change the sound of a song significantly and they are used very frequently for this reason.http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-play-guitar-chords

The B minor chord is one of the most frequently used minor chords on the guitar. Learning how to play this chord will greatly expand the amount of songs you can play and will also help you with other minor chords as well. There are different ways to play the chord, but this How to Play B Minor on Guitar page will focus on the most common way to play, starting on the second fret. The B minor chord uses a 'barre chord' shape, meaning one finger will be pressed down on several different strings at once.http://guitar.about.com/library/weekly/aa112100d.htm Using the barre chord formation may give beginner guitarists some difficulty but it is an invaluable technique to learn. The formation used when playing B minor can be moved around the guitar neck. This means that you keep the same shape formed for B minor but playing it on different frets will form different minor chords.http://guitar.about.com/library/weekly/aa112100d.htm

If you are familiar with forming barre chords already, the B minor shape should be no problem at all. In this "How To" your fingers will be referred to as the first (index), second (middle), third (ring), and fourth (pinky).

The first step of playing B minor on guitar may be the hardest. This is because your first finger has to rest on five strings at once. Starting at the fifth string (A), lay your first finger over the rest of the strings. The only string not covered by your first finger is the sixth (E). This is because this string is not played in the B minor chord.

After covering five strings with your first finger on the second fret, now take your third finger and place it on the fourth string of the second fret (D string). This may be a good time to pick this note to make sure you are playing it correctly and have enough pressure on the string.

Directly under your third finger on the same fret, you will now place your fourth finger on the third string (G). Beginner guitarists may find it difficult to use your fourth finger because many chords do not require it, so be sure to practice this and make sure you are getting the correct sound of this note.

After completing the first three steps, now place your second finger on the second string (B) of the third fret. This step completes the B minor chord. After this step strum the chord to see how it sounds. Start your strum on the fifth string, not the sixth. This is very important to remember in order to get the right sound. If it does not sound perfect at first, remember not to get frustrated. This chord is difficult and requires practice. It is also a good idea to pick each note out individually to see which ones are causing you any problems and try correcting them.

Check out these other helpful How Tos to learn more about guitars.

1. How to Play Guitar For Newbies
2. How to Play A Major on Guitar
3. How to Play a B Chord
4. How to Play C Major on Guitar
5. How to Play D Major on Guitar
6. How to Play E Major on Guitar
7. How to Play F Major on Guitar
8. How to Play an A Minor Chord
9. How to Play B Minor on Guitar
10. How to Play a C Minor Chord
11. How to Play D Minor on Guitar
12. How to Play an E Minor Chord
13. How to Play an F Minor Chord
14. How to Clean a Guitar
15. How to Tune a Guitar
16. How to Buy a Guitar
17. How to String an Acoustic Guitar