G is one of the first chords you learn and one you will play for the rest of your life. Its job is to teach the hand to open wide while three strings in the middle ring free. Get those open strings clean, choose a fingering that suits the songs you play, and G becomes the chord you come home to.
G chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: G major
- Symbol: G
- Notes: G, B, D
- Where it belongs: V in C major, IV in D major, I in G major, V in C minor, III in E minor, VII in A minor, VI in B 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| G, open | 320003 | G B D G B G | The classic open G: three fingers, all six strings. The first G almost every guitarist learns. |
| G, folk version | 320033 | G B D G D G | Adds D on the B string. Fuller on top, and it shares two fingers with Cadd9 and Dsus4. |
| G, two fingers | 3x0003 | G D G B G | A stopgap for fast changes: mute the A string with the finger on the low E. Thinner, but complete. |
| G, top four strings | xx5433 | G B D G | A small, bright G with no open strings. Movable: slide it up two frets and you have A. |
| G, barre | 355433 | G D G B D G | The E shape barred at the third fret. Use it when the chords around G are barres too. |
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.
G on the neck: every G, B, D
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of G: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still G.
How to play G, string by string
- Second finger on the low E string (sixth string) at fret 3. That is G, the root.
- First finger on the A string at fret 2. That is B, the third.
- Third finger on the high E string at fret 3. G again, on top.
- Leave the D, G and B strings open. They give D, G and B, and they are the reason the chord sounds so wide.
Then check it: pick each string on its own, from the low E to the high E. If one of the open strings in the middle is dead, a finger is lying on it. Fix the placement before you press harder.
Which G to use
320003 is the reference. 320033 is the one you hear on countless acoustic records: the extra D on the B string makes the top end ring, and with the third and fourth fingers anchored at fret 3, the change to Cadd9 (x32033) or Dsus4 (xx0233) moves only two fingers.
3x0003 is a shortcut: two fingers, and the finger on the low E leans against the A string to silence it. Use it when a change comes too fast, not as your everyday G.
You will also see a one finger "easy G", xx0003. The notes are right, but the lowest one is D, so it is really G/D: fine for a first week, thin as a main chord.
Further up, 355433 is the E shape barred at fret 3, and xx5433 its top four strings. Both are movable, and both are what you want when the rest of the song is in barre chords.
The changes to practice
| Change | Shapes | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| G to C | 320003 to x32010 | C starts on the A string: aim the strum there and keep the low E out. |
| G to D | 320003 to xx0232 | D starts on the D string: make the strum much shorter. |
| G to Em | 320003 to 022000 | Both start on the low E. The hand closes into a compact shape at fret 2. |
| G, Cadd9, Dsus4 | 320033, x32033, xx0233 | The third and fourth fingers never leave fret 3. |
Start each pair at a slow tempo, four beats per chord, and change on the last beat rather than the first. The online metronome keeps you honest. The other chords have their own pages: C, D and E minor.
Where to hear G
G is the home chord of a huge share of acoustic songs. Bob Marley's Redemption Song moves between G, Em, C, Am and D. Bob Dylan's Knockin' on Heaven's Door turns on G, D, Am and C. Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here uses G among Em7, A7sus4, C and D/F#; that last chord, G's favorite way down to Em, has its own page: D/F#.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play a G chord on guitar?
Should I play G with fingers 2-1-3 or 3-2-4?
What is the difference between 320003 and 320033?
What notes are in a G major chord?
Why do the middle strings of my G chord sound muted?
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.