The Gm7 chord (G minor seventh) on guitar

Gm7 is G minor with an F on top, and that F changes its character: the chord stops sounding final and starts sounding like it is on its way somewhere. That is why it is everywhere in jazz, soul, funk and smooth pop, and why it so often leads to C7. It is also friendlier than G minor: the barre version needs only two fingers.

Gm7 chord: notes and shapes at a glance

• Name: G minor seventh
• Symbol: Gm7
• Notes: G, Bb, D, F
• Where it belongs: iii7 in Eb major, ii7 in F major, vi7 in Bb major, ivm7 in D minor, im7 in G 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.

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.

From Gm to Gm7: lift one finger

Play the G minor barre, 355333. Now lift the fourth finger off the D string. The barre underneath takes over that string at fret 3, and the note changes from G to F. You are playing 353333, Gm7.

Go back and forth a few times and listen to what the F does: the minor chord loses its weight and opens up. The two notes that give Gm7 its identity are F on the D string and Bb on the G string, both at fret 3. If either one is muffled, the chord loses its color.

The compact shape: 3x333x

Four strings at the same fret: first finger on the low E (G), second finger on the D string (F), third finger on the G string (Bb), fourth finger on the B string (D). The underside of the first finger touches the A string to mute it, and the fourth finger's pad leans on the high E.

It has all four notes, it weighs much less than the full barre, and it stops dead when you relax the hand, which is what short, rhythmic comping needs. If even that is too much, xx3333 puts the same four notes under one flat finger; F is then the lowest note, so let a bass player or the song's bass line supply the G.

Gm7, C7, Fmaj7: the ii V I in F

In F major, Gm7 is the ii chord. It leads to C7, the V7, which resolves to Fmaj7. This three chord move is the backbone of countless jazz standards and soul tunes.

Notice the Bb: it is in Gm7 and C7, then steps down to A in Fmaj7. That little half step is a large part of why the cadence sounds so smooth. The chord progressions page shows the same move in other keys.

Gm7, G7 and Gmaj7: one note apart

Gm7 also works as a borrowed color in major keys. In a song in D that goes D, G, back to D, try D, G, Gm7, D: the B of G major slips down to Bb, and the return to D sounds wistful. Use it once in a song, not every time.