Diatonic Chord Scale, Up and Back · Exercises

B · C#m · D#m · E · F# · G#m · A#dim · B · A#dim · G#m · F# · E · D#m · C#m

I · ii · iii · IV · V · vi · vii° · I · vii° · vi · V · IV · iii · ii in the key of Bm

Going up is the easy half. Coming back down is where you find out which changes you actually know, because the ones your hand has learned in one direction are exactly the ones that catch you in the other.

Four bars of diatonic chord scale, up and back in the key of Bm, written I · ii · iii · IV · V · vi · vii° · I · vii° · vi · V · IV · iii · ii and played let it ring at around 80 beats per minute. The chord shapes are below, and you can hear the whole thing play (and slow it down) without an account.

Chord diagrams for B, C#m, D#m, E, F#, G#m, A#dim, B, A#dim, G#m, F#, E, D#m, C#m (I · ii · iii · IV · V · vi · vii° · I · vii° · vi · V · IV · iii · ii in Bm)

Practice this progression →

Opens in the Progression Lab. No account, nothing to sign in to. Ten minutes of playback a day, and an hour with a free account.

What the chords are

This is I · ii · iii · IV · V · vi · vii° · I · vii° · vi · V · IV · iii · ii in the key of Bm. The degree of each chord is what makes the progression recognisable in any key, so the same four moves transpose anywhere once you know them by number.

B I up at the 2nd fret, spanning to the 4th, on 5 strings
C#m ii up at the 4th fret, spanning to the 6th, on 5 strings
D#m iii up at the 6th fret, spanning to the 8th, on 5 strings
E IV up at the 7th fret, spanning to the 9th, on 5 strings
F# V up at the 9th fret, spanning to the 11th, on 5 strings
G#m vi up at the 11th fret, spanning to the 13th, on 5 strings
A#dim vii° up at the 9th fret, spanning to the 11th, on 3 strings
B I up at the 7th fret, spanning to the 9th, on all six strings
A#dim vii° up at the 6th fret, spanning to the 8th, on 4 strings
G#m vi up at the 4th fret, spanning to the 6th, on all six strings
F# V up at the 2nd fret, spanning to the 4th, on all six strings
E IV in open position, frets 1 to 2, on all six strings
D#m iii up at the 2nd fret, spanning to the 4th, on 3 strings
C#m ii up at the 4th fret, spanning to the 6th, on 5 strings

How it should feel

Strum: Let it ring
Groove: None
Tempo: 80 bpm
Key: Bm
Voicings: Campfire

Big open grips and barres — the whole-hand chords everyone starts on.

The shapes

Low E on the left, high e on the right. 0 is an open string, × is one you do not play.

Chord	E	A	D	G	B	e
B	×	2	4	4	4	2
C#m	×	4	6	6	5	4
D#m	×	6	8	8	7	6
E	×	7	9	9	9	7
F#	×	9	11	11	11	9
G#m	×	11	13	13	12	11
A#dim	×	×	11	9	11	×
B	7	9	9	8	7	7
A#dim	6	7	8	6	×	×
G#m	4	6	6	4	4	4
F#	2	4	4	3	2	2
E	0	2	2	1	0	0
D#m	×	×	×	3	4	2
C#m	×	4	6	6	5	4

More Exercises

Posted Nov 15, 2026. Part of a growing library of guitar chord progressions.