G minor does have an open shape, but it is not the friendly kind. The chord most players end up using is the barre at the third fret, which is simply F minor moved up two frets. The way there is the same as for every minor barre: start on the top strings with a small barre, add a bass note, then lay the first finger across all six.
Gm chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: G minor
- Symbol: Gm
- Notes: G, Bb, D
- Where it belongs: iii in Eb major, ii in F major, vi in Bb major, iv in D minor, i 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.
| Shape | Frets, low E to high E | Notes, low to high | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gm, three strings | xx533x | G Bb D | The way in: G, Bb and D on three strings, with a two string mini barre. No bass, but a real G minor. |
| Gm, four strings | xx5333 | G Bb D G | Extend the mini barre to the high E. The easy Gm to use in songs while the full barre comes. |
| Gm, open | 310033 | G Bb D G D G | A full Gm with two open strings and no barre, but four fingers spread out. The open D must ring past the first finger. |
| Gm, thumb bass | 3x5333 | G G Bb D G | The four string shape with the thumb on the low E at fret 3. G in the bass, no full barre. |
| Gm, barre | 355333 | G D G Bb D G | The standard G minor: the E minor shape barred at fret 3, or F minor moved up two frets. |
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.
Gm on the neck: every G, Bb, D
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Gm: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Gm.
Building Gm from the top strings down
1. Three strings: xx533x
First finger flat across the G and B strings at fret 3 (Bb and D). Third finger on the D string at fret 5 (G). Strum those three strings. You already hear a complete G minor.
2. Four strings: xx5333
Let the first finger reach one string further, onto the high E at fret 3. That adds another G on top. This is the shape to stay on for a while.
3. The bass: 3x5333 or 355333
Either wrap the thumb over the neck onto the low E at fret 3, or go for the full barre: first finger on all six strings at fret 3, third finger on the A string at 5, fourth finger on the D string at 5. Both put G in the bass.
The open shape and the capo shortcut
310033 is a true G minor with no barre: second finger on the low E at fret 3, first finger on the A string at fret 1, third and fourth fingers on the B and high E strings at fret 3. The catch is the first finger, which must press the A string without touching the open D next to it. Try it, but do not feel you have to keep it.
The capo route is often the better answer. Put a capo at the third fret and play an E minor shape (022000): you get a full six string G minor with no barre at all. It also gives you a reliable reference sound while the 355333 barre settles in. The capo chart shows the other shapes this trick works for.
Higher up the neck, x 10 12 12 11 10 is G minor in the A minor shape, root on the A string at fret 10, for songs that already live there.
Getting in and out of Gm
| Change | Shapes | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Gm to Cm | 355333 to x35543 | The first finger stays at fret 3. The strum moves from the low E to the A string. |
| Gm to Dm | 355333 to xx0231 | Dm starts on the D string: shorten the strum. |
| G5, Bb5, C5 | 355xxx, 688xxx, x355xx | The rock version in power chords, without the Bb third. |
The neighbors have their own pages: C minor and D minor. For the rock side, see power chords.
Where to hear Gm
Bob Marley's I Shot the Sheriff sits on Gm and Cm, a good song to compare the four string shape and the full barre in a reggae rhythm. The Police use it in Roxanne, with Dm, Eb, Cm, Bb and F, and in Walking on the Moon, alongside Dm, Bb and C. In Prince's Purple Rain it is the minor turn between Bb, F and Eb.
G minor is the relative minor of Bb and the ii chord of F, which is why it so often travels with Cm, Dm and Bb.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play a Gm chord on guitar?
What is the easiest way to play G minor?
Is there an open G minor chord?
What notes are in a G minor chord?
Can I use a G power chord instead of Gm?
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.