What notes are in a G minor chord?

G minor contains three notes: G (the root), B♭ (the minor third), and D (the perfect fifth).

How do you play a G minor chord on guitar?

The standard voicing is a barre chord (E minor shape barred at the 3rd fret): index finger across all six strings on the 3rd fret, ring finger on the 5th fret of the 5th string, pinky on the 5th fret of the 4th string. The barred 6th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings sound G, B♭, D, and G.

How is G minor different from G major?

Only the third changes. G minor uses B♭; G major uses B natural. The root (G) and fifth (D) are the same. The flat third drops the chord's emotional weight from bright to brooding.

What famous pieces are in G minor?

Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor is one of the most-recognised symphonies ever written. Bach's Little Fugue in G minor (BWV 578) and Gershwin's "Summertime" are both anchored here. Across genres, G minor often signals dramatic, contemplative, or grave material.

G minor chord — notes, intervals, and practice

G minor is the relative minor of B♭ major and one of the warmest, most expressive minor keys for both classical and jazz. Mozart's 40th symphony in G minor and "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess are both built around this chord. G minor contains G, B♭, and D — the B♭ is the only accidental in the chord, and it's the same B♭ that defines the surrounding key signature.

Intervals

The G minor chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

G→Bbminor 3rd3 semitones
Bb→Dmajor 3rd4 semitones
G→Dperfect 5th7 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the G minor chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the G minor chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

G minor's third is B♭, not B natural. Writing "Gm" in a chord chart and accidentally playing G–B–D would give G major instead — completely flipping the chord's mood. The flat is essential. On guitar, G minor is barre-chord territory (E-shape barred at the 3rd fret); there's no clean open voicing because the G string is naturally a major-third interval above the open 4th string, and getting B♭ in the chord requires fretting it. Beginners sometimes substitute G7 or G — neither of which is what the chord chart asks for.

In context

G minor is the i chord in G minor, the vi chord in B♭ major, and the ii in F major (where the Gm–C–F cadence is the textbook ii–V–I in jazz). Mozart used G minor for his most dramatic statements — the 40th symphony, the G minor string quintet — and a long line of romantic composers followed.

Drill it

The G minor chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

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Frequently asked

What notes are in a G minor chord?: G minor contains three notes: G (the root), B♭ (the minor third), and D (the perfect fifth).
How do you play a G minor chord on guitar?: The standard voicing is a barre chord (E minor shape barred at the 3rd fret): index finger across all six strings on the 3rd fret, ring finger on the 5th fret of the 5th string, pinky on the 5th fret of the 4th string. The barred 6th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings sound G, B♭, D, and G.
How is G minor different from G major?: Only the third changes. G minor uses B♭; G major uses B natural. The root (G) and fifth (D) are the same. The flat third drops the chord's emotional weight from bright to brooding.
What famous pieces are in G minor?: Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor is one of the most-recognised symphonies ever written. Bach's Little Fugue in G minor (BWV 578) and Gershwin's "Summertime" are both anchored here. Across genres, G minor often signals dramatic, contemplative, or grave material.