As a minor tonicG♯ minor
The natural-minor loop - every chord is drawn from the key's own seven notes.
G♯ Minor Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G♯ Minor chord is built on the root note G♯. Its notes are G♯, B and D♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♭ Minor.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Minor chords have a darker, more introspective quality. A root, a minor third and a perfect fifth give them a reflective, sometimes sad character that's common in ballads, folk and film scores.
- Notes
- G♯ · B · D♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7
- Note
- G♯
- Quality
- Minor
- Symbol
- G♯m
G♯ Minor 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♯ Minor 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. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- G♯1
- B♭3
- D♯5
G♯ Minor on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G♯ Minor is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre shape: keep the index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram.
G♯ Minor chord notes
Also known as A♭ Minor
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G♯(G#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | B | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | D♯(D#) |
How to use the G♯ Minor chord
The G♯ Minor chord is built from a root, a minor 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.
Minor chords are everywhere in rock, pop, classical and film music. They often act as the vi chord in major keys or as the i, iv and v in a natural minor key.
Where G♯ Minor is used
A minor chord works as the tonic of its own key, and as the vi or the ii of a major one. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Scales that contain G♯m
These scales include G♯m as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
C♯ Natural Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
C♯ Dorian
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B
C♯ Mixolydian
C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B
C♯ Aeolian
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
C♯ Lydian Dominant
C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A♯ · B
C♯ Hindu
C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
E♭ Natural Minor
E♭ · F · G♭ · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D♭
E♭ Harmonic Minor
E♭ · F · G♭ · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D
E♭ Phrygian
E♭ · F♭ · G♭ · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D♭
E♭ Aeolian
E♭ · F · G♭ · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D♭
E♭ Locrian
E♭ · F♭ · G♭ · A♭ · B𝄫 · C♭ · D♭
E♭ Harmonic Major
E♭ · F · G · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the G♯ Minor chord?
- The G♯ Minor chord contains G♯, B and D♯ (G#, B and D# in plain text).
- Is the G♯ Minor chord major or minor?
- G♯ Minor is a minor chord. Minor chords have a darker, more introspective quality. A root, a minor third and a perfect fifth give them a reflective, sometimes sad character that's common in ballads, folk and film scores.
- How do you play G♯ Minor 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.
- How do you play G♯ Minor on guitar?
- G♯ Minor is typically played with the fingering shown in the diagram above. If one of the chord tones lines up with an open string, an open position is worth trying too.
- What is another name for the G♯ Minor chord?
- G♯ Minor is enharmonically equivalent to A♭ Minor. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.