Root position
G – Bb – DThe root G is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.
3 notes · 1 · ♭3 · 5
G Minor Piano Chord (Gm)
G minor is built from G, Bb and D — the formula 1 · ♭3 · 5, or 3 and 7 semitones above G. The shape uses 2 white and 1 black key, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.
Chord
G Minor
Notes
G · A# · DFormula
1 · ♭3 · 5Right hand
1 · 3 · 5C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
C#
D#
F#
G#
A#
Choose a chord, then play it. Finger numbers run from thumb (1) to little finger (5).
The finder above already holds Gm. Press P or the Play chord button to hear G, Bb, D sounded together, then change the root or the chord type to compare it with something else.
Chord tones
The notes in G minor
A minor triad reverses the major arrangement: a minor third first, then a major third. Only the middle note moves, yet the chord sounds noticeably darker and more inward. Minor triads sit on the second, third and sixth degrees of a major scale, and on the first degree of a minor key.
| Note | Interval | Degree | Semitones | Right hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwhite key | Root | 1 | 0 | 1 · thumb |
| Bbblack key | Minor third | ♭3 | 3 | 3 · middle finger |
| Dwhite key | Perfect fifth | 5 | 7 | 5 · little finger |
Step by step
How to play G minor on piano
- Find G: it is the white key between the first and second black keys of a group of three.
- Build upwards from G using 3 and 7 semitones to reach Bb and D.
- With the right hand, place finger 1 on G, finger 3 on Bb and finger 5 on D. Keep the wrist level and the knuckles rounded.
- Move your hand a little further in towards the fallboard so the black key sits comfortably under your fingers.
- Play the notes together, then one at a time from the bottom up, and listen to how G minor settles.
- Try first inversion as well: Bb – D – G. Inversions let you change chords without jumping around the keyboard.
Inversions
G minor in 3 positions
An inversion keeps the same 3 notes and simply moves the lowest one up an octave. Learning them means you can change chords with small hand movements instead of jumping to a new part of the keyboard.
First inversion
Bb – D – GBb is the lowest note, so the minor third sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Second inversion
D – G – BbD is the lowest note, so the perfect fifth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
In context
Which keys contain G minor
In E♭ major the chord functions as iii. Altogether it is produced by the scales of 6 keys, so learning it once pays off in several places.
- E♭ majoriii
- F majorii
- B♭ majorvi
- C minorv
- D minoriv
- G minori
Chord tones are spelled by the degree they occupy, so the third of a minor chord is written as a flat rather than a sharp even though it is the same key on the piano. A double sharp such as F## means the key one whole tone above F.
Compare
G minor against G major
G minor and G major share G and D. Moving the major third B down 1 semitone to the minor third Bb turns G major into G minor.
Practise the pair together: hold the shared notes G, D still and move only the one finger. Hearing that single change is the quickest way to recognise the two chords by ear.
Open G major →Good questions
G minor questions
What notes are in the G minor chord?
G minor contains G, Bb and D. Counted from the root, that is the formula 1 · ♭3 · 5, or 3 and 7 semitones above G.
What is the right-hand fingering for G minor?
A comfortable beginner fingering is 1 (thumb) on G, 3 (middle finger) on Bb and 5 (little finger) on D. Finger numbers run from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5), and they change once you start using inversions.
How is G minor different from G major?
G minor and G major share G and D. Moving the major third B down 1 semitone to the minor third Bb turns G major into G minor.
Which keys use the G minor chord?
It occurs naturally in E♭ major (iii), F major (ii), B♭ major (vi), C minor (v), D minor (iv) and G minor (i). The roman numeral shows which degree of the key the chord is built on.
What are the inversions of G minor?
root position is G – Bb – D, first inversion is Bb – D – G and second inversion is D – G – Bb. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.