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G minor 7th chord on guitar (Gm7)
Also called or written Gm7 or Gmin7
G minor 7th contains G, B♭, D, and F. The 3rd fret voicing is a full barre chord that demands a strong index finger.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7
- Root positionG–B♭–D–FGm73-5-3-3-3-3
- First inversionB♭–D–F–GGm7/B♭×-1-0-0-3-1
- Second inversionD–F–G–B♭Gm7/D×-5-3-3-3-3
- Third inversionF–G–B♭–DGm7/F1-1-0-0-3-1
How do you play a G minor 7th chord on guitar?
G minor 7th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 5 3 3 3 3: barre your index finger across fret 3 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 4 | D (5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 1 (barre) | D (5) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (1) |
AdvancedThe index finger must barre all six strings at the 3rd fret while the pinky stretches to the 5th fret on the A string.
5th fret
G minor 7th is played at the 5th fret as × × 5 7 6 6: index finger on the D string at fret 5, pinky finger on the G string at fret 7, middle finger on the B string at fret 6 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 6. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 1 | G (1) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 4 | D (5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 2 | F (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (♭3) |
10th fret
G minor 7th is played at the 10th fret as × 10 12 10 11 10: barre your index finger across fret 10, pinky finger on the D string at fret 12 and ring finger on the B string at fret 11. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 (barre) | G (1) |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 4 | D (5) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 3 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (5) |
Gm7/B♭ inversion · ×-1-0-0-3-1 — the easy shape, no barre
G minor 7th is played in open position as × 1 0 0 3 1: index finger on the A string at fret 1, ring finger on the B string at fret 3 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D and G strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (5) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (1) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 3 | D (5) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 2 | F (♭7) |
Gm7/B♭ inversion · ×-1-3-0-3-1
G minor 7th is played in open position as × 1 3 0 3 1: index finger on the A string at fret 1, ring finger on the D string at fret 3, pinky finger on the B string at fret 3 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 1. The G string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 3 | F (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (1) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (5) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 2 | F (♭7) |
Why it sounds like that
G minor 7th is built from 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7. The ♭7 adds a mellow edge to the minor triad. Compare it with G minor, which has no seventh.
What goes wrong with G minor 7th?
- The barre fails to press the high E string, causing a dead note.
- The pinky touches the D string, muting it.
- The barre fails to press the low E string, causing a dead note.
When to use it
G minor 7th works in the I–V–vi–IV progression in B♭ major: B♭ major–F major–G minor–E♭ major. It suits jazz, R&B, and neo-soul.
Changing to and from G minor 7th
- Slide the shape up one fret to the 4th fret to get <a href="/guitar/a-flat-minor-7-chord">A♭ minor 7th</a>.
Which voicing to use
The 3rd fret barre is the standard voicing. The 10th fret barre is easier to play because the frets are closer together. The Gm7/B♭ inversion puts the third in the bass for a darker sound.
Other G chords
Common questions
How is G minor 7th written?
G minor 7th is written as Gmin7 or Gm7.
What is the difference between G minor 7th and G minor?
G minor 7th adds the note F to the G minor triad. That F is a minor 7th above G, giving the chord a softer, more colorful sound.
Why does the 3rd fret voicing use all six strings?
All six strings are fretted or barred to produce chord tones. The low E is the root, giving a strong bass foundation.