Am/G# is a chord that exists for one bar at a time. It is A minor with G#, the note a half step below A, slipped into the bass. Heard alone it sounds strained; heard right after Am, it is the first step of a bass line sliding down by half steps. You do not need a new grip for it: keep Am and add one finger.
Am/G# chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: A minor over G sharp
- Symbol: Am/G#
- Notes: A, C, E, G#
- Bass note: G#, the lowest note you play
- Where it belongs: vi in C major, iii in F major, ii in G major, iv in E minor, i in A minor
Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a
number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you
do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.
| Shape | Frets, low E to high E | Notes, low to high | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Am/G#, open | 4x2210 | G# E A C E | The open A minor grip plus the fourth finger on the low E at fret 4. A string muted. |
| Am/G#, four strings | xx6555 | G# C E A | G# on the D string at fret 6, first finger across the top three strings at fret 5. No open strings, so it moves with the bass line. |
| Am/G#, eleventh fret | x 11 10 9 10 x | G# C E A | A slanted grip: fourth finger on the A string at fret 11 (G#), third on the D string at 10, first on the G string at 9, second on the B string at 10. |
Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.
Am/G# on the neck: every A, C, E, G#
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Am/G#: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Am/G#.
How to play Am/G#
- Put down a normal A minor: second finger on the D string at fret 2, third on the G string at fret 2, first on the B string at fret 1.
- Add the fourth finger on the low E at fret 4. That note is G#, the bass.
- Let the side of the fourth finger rest lightly on the A string so it does not ring.
- Strum from the low E, or pick the G# on the beat and strum the rest.
| String | Fret | Note | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low E (6th) | 4 | G# | Bass, major seventh |
| A (5th) | x | - | Muted |
| D (4th) | 2 | E | Fifth |
| G (3rd) | 2 | A | Root |
| B (2nd) | 1 | C | Minor third |
| High E (1st) | 0 | E | Fifth |
The line it belongs to
Am/G# makes sense only inside a falling bass. Keep the A minor fingers where they are and let the bass walk:
| Chord | Shape | Bass note | What moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Am | x02210 | A | - |
| Am/G# | 4x2210 | G# | Fourth finger on the low E, fret 4 |
| Am/G | 302210 | G | Fourth finger slides to fret 3; the A string rings again |
| D/F# | 2x0232 | F# | New grip, bass at fret 2 |
| Fmaj7 | xx3210 | F | Bass on the D string |
This is the chromatic line of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven intro, which chord sheets often write Am, Am/G#, C/G, D/F#, Fmaj7. The record plays it as a fingerpicked arpeggio, so transcriptions disagree on the exact notes of the second chord; the bass, A to G# to G to F#, is the part everyone agrees on.
The next steps have their own pages: Am7/G, C/G, D/F# and Fmaj7.
Am/G# is not G#, and not Am
The slash reads "A minor, with G# as the lowest note". If you are looking for the plain chord, it is on the A minor chord page. If a chart says G# with no slash, that is G# major (G#, C, D#), a barre chord at fret 4 explained on the G# chord page. Mixing the two up is the most common misreading of this symbol.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Am/G# on guitar?
What notes are in Am/G#?
Why mute the A string in Am/G#?
What comes after Am/G#?
Is Am/G# the same as G#?
Who made this
Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.
More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.