Root position
G# – B – D#The root G# is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.
3 notes · 1 · ♭3 · 5
G# Minor Piano Chord (G#m)
G# minor is built from G#, B and D# — the formula 1 · ♭3 · 5, or 3 and 7 semitones above G#. The shape uses 1 white and 2 black keys, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.
Chord
G# Minor
Notes
G# · B · D#Formula
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 G#m. Press P or the Play chord button to hear G#, B, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G#black key | Root | 1 | 0 | 1 · thumb |
| Bwhite key | Minor third | ♭3 | 3 | 3 · middle finger |
| D#black key | Perfect fifth | 5 | 7 | 5 · little finger |
Step by step
How to play G# minor on piano
- Find G#: it is the middle black key in a group of three.
- Build upwards from G# using 3 and 7 semitones to reach B and D#.
- With the right hand, place finger 1 on G#, finger 3 on B 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 keys sit 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: B – 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
B – D# – G#B 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# – BD# 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
- E♭ 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 B 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#, B 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 B 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 B 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), E♭ 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# – B – D#, first inversion is B – D# – G# and second inversion is D# – G# – B. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.
Is G# minor the same as the A♭ chord?
On an equal-tempered piano G# and A♭ are the same key, so the chords sound identical. Written music chooses between them according to the key signature: pages here are named after the sharp spelling of the root, and the chord tones are then spelled by the degree each one occupies, which is why a double sharp occasionally appears.