Tools / Chords / G minor

G minor chord on guitar (Gm)

Also written Gm or Gmin

G minor contains G, B♭, and D, built from 1, ♭3, 5. The open shape is a first-position staple that every beginner can fret cleanly.

Open3-1-0-0-3-3

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

G1Root

B♭♭3Minor 3rd

D5Perfect 5th

Formula 1, ♭3, 5

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionG–B♭–DGmBass G

First inversionB♭–D–GGm/B♭Bass B♭

Second inversionD–G–B♭Gm/DBass D

Why it sounds like that

G minor is built from the root G, a minor third B♭, and a perfect fifth D. The ♭3 interval is what separates it from G major, which raises that note to B. This single semitone change turns the chord from bright to dark.

What goes wrong with G minor?

Letting the index finger collapse and mute the open D string.
Pressing the middle and ring fingers flat so they touch the adjacent open strings.
Strumming unevenly so some open strings are skipped.

When to use it

G minor is the vi chord in B♭ major, so it appears in progressions like B♭–F–Gm–E♭ (I–V–vi–IV). It suits folk, rock, and any progression that needs a melancholy lift. Pair it with B♭ major and E♭ major for the I–vi–IV–V loop.

Changing to and from G minor

Move to C minor by shifting the index finger to the A string 3rd fret and changing the fretted notes to 5-5-4-3.
Move to B♭ major by lifting the middle finger and placing the index on the A string 1st fret while the ring and pinky stay on the B and high E strings 3rd fret.

Which voicing to use

The open position gives the root G in the bass and is the easiest to grab. The 3rd fret barre shape repeats the same voicing an octave higher, while the Gmin/B♭ inversion puts B♭ in the bass for a darker, less stable sound.

How do you play a G minor chord on guitar?

Open

Beginner● On the diagram

G minor is played in open position as 3 1 0 0 3 3: middle finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 1, ring finger on the B string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The D and G strings ring open.

Tip — The hardest part is keeping the index finger arched on the A string while the open D string rings clearly.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	3	2	G (1)
5 (A)	1	1	B♭ (♭3)
4 (D)	open	—	D (5)
3 (G)	open	—	G (1)
2 (B)	3	3	D (5)
1 (e)	3	4	G (1)

3rd fret

Barre

G minor is played at the 3rd fret as 3 5 5 3 3 3: barre your index finger across fret 3, ring finger on the A string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the D string at fret 5.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	3	1 (barre)	G (1)
5 (A)	5	3	D (5)
4 (D)	5	4	G (1)
3 (G)	3	1 (barre)	B♭ (♭3)
2 (B)	3	1 (barre)	D (5)
1 (e)	3	1 (barre)	G (1)

10th fret

Barre

G minor is played at the 10th fret as × 10 12 12 11 10: barre your index finger across fret 10, ring finger on the D string at fret 12, pinky finger on the G string at fret 12 and middle finger on the B string at fret 11. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	10	1 (barre)	G (1)
4 (D)	12	3	D (5)
3 (G)	12	4	G (1)
2 (B)	11	2	B♭ (♭3)
1 (e)	10	1 (barre)	D (5)

Gmin/B♭ inversion · ×-1-0-0-3-3

Beginner

G minor is played in open position as × 1 0 0 3 3: index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the B string at fret 3 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 3. The D and G strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string 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	2	D (5)
1 (e)	3	3	G (1)

Gmin/B♭ inversion · ×-1-0-3-3-3

Beginner

G minor is played in open position as × 1 0 3 3 3: index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 3, ring finger on the B string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The D string rings open. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	1	1	B♭ (♭3)
4 (D)	open	—	D (5)
3 (G)	3	2	B♭ (♭3)
2 (B)	3	3	D (5)
1 (e)	3	4	G (1)

Common questions

How is G minor written?

G minor is written Gm, Gmin, G−, or Gmi. The root is G, and no enharmonic spelling is used.

What is the difference between G minor and G major?

G minor lowers the third from B to B♭. That single note changes the chord from major to minor and gives it a sadder quality.

Why does the open G minor shape use all six strings?

The open G minor shape uses all six strings, with two open strings and four fretted notes. The open strings ring sympathetically and give the chord a rich, resonant sound.

Can G minor be played as a barre chord?

Yes, the 3rd fret barre shape is G minor with the root on the low E string. It is useful when you need a higher register or a consistent barre progression.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

G (1)

5 (A)

B♭ (♭3)

4 (D)

open

—

D (5)

3 (G)

open

—

G (1)

2 (B)

D (5)

1 (e)

G (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

G (1)

5 (A)

D (5)

4 (D)

G (1)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

B♭ (♭3)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

D (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

G (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

1 (barre)

G (1)

4 (D)

D (5)

3 (G)

G (1)

2 (B)

B♭ (♭3)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

D (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

B♭ (♭3)

4 (D)

open

—

D (5)

3 (G)

open

—

G (1)

2 (B)

D (5)

1 (e)

G (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

B♭ (♭3)

4 (D)

open

—

D (5)

3 (G)

B♭ (♭3)

2 (B)

D (5)

1 (e)

G (1)