As the VC♯ major
G♯ Major is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
G♯ Major Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G♯ Major chord is built on the root note G♯. Its notes are G♯, B♯ and D♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♭ Major.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Major chords feel bright, stable and resolved. A root, a major third and a perfect fifth give them a happy, confident sound. Most popular music is built on them.
- Notes
- G♯ · B♯ · D♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7
- Note
- G♯
- Quality
- Major
- Symbol
- G♯
G♯ Major on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play G♯ Major on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on G♯, middle finger on B♯ and little finger on D♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯ and D♯ are black keys and B♯ is white, the key you'd normally call C. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- G♯1
- B♯3
- D♯5
G♯ Major on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G♯ Major is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 4: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. If the full barre won't ring yet, play strings 4 to 1 only: they already hold all three notes.
G♯ · B♯ · D♯
Play G♯ Major on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
G♯ Major chord notes
Also known as A♭ Major
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G♯(G#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | B♯(B#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | D♯(D#) |
How to use the G♯ Major chord
The G♯ Major chord is built from a root, a major third and a perfect fifth. Start at the root G♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: G♯, B♯ and D♯. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
You'll find major chords in almost every style of popular music: rock anthems, country ballads, pop hits and hymns. They commonly appear as the I, IV and V chords in a major key.
In major keys G♯ is the V in C♯ major; in minor keys it's the V in C♯ minor and the VII in A♯ minor. As the V of C♯ minor it takes its third, B♯, from the harmonic minor scale: the key's seventh degree, raised a half step.
How G♯ Major differs from similar chords
G♯ and G♯m share the root and the fifth, and the only difference is the third: a major third in G♯, a minor third in G♯m. Add a major seventh and it becomes G♯maj7, add a minor seventh and it becomes G♯7. Of all the chords on this root, the plain major triad is the one that sounds finished.
Where G♯ Major is used
A major chord is at home as a tonic, and just as useful as the IV or the V of a neighbouring key. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Scales that contain G♯
These scales include G♯ as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
C♯ Major
C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯
C♯ Harmonic Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B♯
C♯ Melodic Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯
C♯ Lydian
C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A♯ · B♯
C♯ Harmonic Major
C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F♯ · G♯ · A · B♯
C♯ Hungarian Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F𝄪 · G♯ · A · B♯
E Lydian Augmented
E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C♯ · D♯
E Enigmatic
E · F · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C𝄪 · D♯
F♯ Lydian
F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C♯ · D♯ · E♯
F♯ Lydian Augmented
F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C𝄪 · D♯ · E♯
F♯ Lydian Dominant
F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C♯ · D♯ · E
D♯ Major
D♯ · E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C𝄪
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the G♯ Major chord?
- The G♯ Major chord contains G♯, B♯ and D♯ (G#, B# and D# in plain text).
- Is the G♯ Major chord major or minor?
- G♯ Major is a major chord. Major chords feel bright, stable and resolved. A root, a major third and a perfect fifth give them a happy, confident sound. Most popular music is built on them.
- What key is the G♯ Major chord in?
- In major keys G♯ is the V in C♯ major; in minor keys it's the V in C♯ minor and the VII in A♯ minor. As the V of C♯ minor it takes its third, B♯, from the harmonic minor scale: the key's seventh degree, raised a half step.
- How do you play G♯ Major on piano?
- Place your fingers on G♯, B♯ and D♯ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard G♯ and D♯ are black keys and B♯ is white, the key you'd normally call C. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play G♯ Major on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 4: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. If the full barre won't ring yet, play strings 4 to 1 only: they already hold all three notes.
- What is another name for the G♯ Major chord?
- G♯ Major is enharmonically equivalent to A♭ Major. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.