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).

Is G♯ minor the same as A♭ minor?

Yes, enharmonically — same three pitches. G♯ minor has five sharps; A♭ minor has seven flats. G♯ minor is preferred in nearly all published music.

How do you play G♯ minor on guitar?

Most commonly an E-minor-shape barre at the 4th fret: index finger across all six strings on the 4th fret, ring finger on the 6th fret of the 5th string, pinky on the 6th fret of the 4th string.

What's the relative major of G♯ minor?

B major — both keys share the five-sharp signature, and G♯ minor is built on the 6th scale degree of B major.

G# minor chord — notes, intervals, and practice

G♯ minor is a five-sharp key — the relative minor of B major. The chord contains G♯, B, and D♯. The key shows up in Beethoven (the development sections of the "Hammerklavier" Sonata), in Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, and in dense Romantic chromatic writing. G♯ minor is the enharmonic of A♭ minor; G♯ is preferred in published literature for its more navigable five-sharp signature.

Intervals

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

G#→Bminor 3rd3 semitones
B→D#major 3rd4 semitones
G#→D#perfect 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 root (G♯) and fifth (D♯) are both sharp; the third (B) is plain. The most common error is reading D♯ as D natural, which produces a G♯ diminished chord. On guitar, G♯ minor is most often an E-minor-shape barre at the 4th fret. The five-sharp key signature has F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ in that order; D♯ is the fourth in the order of sharps, useful for placement when sight-reading.

In context

G♯ minor is the i chord in G♯ minor, the vi chord in B major (the relative-major position), the ii in F♯ major, and the iii in E major. Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C♯ minor uses G♯ minor as a primary contrast key throughout. The progression G♯m–E–B–F♯ (i–VI–III–VII) is a common Romantic-era cadential cycle.

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).
Is G♯ minor the same as A♭ minor?: Yes, enharmonically — same three pitches. G♯ minor has five sharps; A♭ minor has seven flats. G♯ minor is preferred in nearly all published music.
How do you play G♯ minor on guitar?: Most commonly an E-minor-shape barre at the 4th fret: index finger across all six strings on the 4th fret, ring finger on the 6th fret of the 5th string, pinky on the 6th fret of the 4th string.
What's the relative major of G♯ minor?: B major — both keys share the five-sharp signature, and G♯ minor is built on the 6th scale degree of B major.