G# has no open position. Every shape of it is either a barre or a reduced chord on the top strings, and all of them are shapes you may already know: the F chord moved up three frets, the E shape at fret 4, the A shape at fret 11. Its notes are G#, B# and D#. B# is the same pitch as C. Many chord charts write the same chord as Ab, spelled Ab, C, Eb: different name, identical sound, identical fingering.
G# chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: G sharp major
- Symbol: G#
- Notes: G#, B#, D#
- Where it belongs: V in C# major, V in C# minor, VII 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| G#, three strings | xxx544 | B# D# G# | No full barre: first finger across the top two strings at fret 4, second finger on the G string at fret 5. Complete, with B# as the lowest note. |
| G#, four strings | xx6544 | G# B# D# G# | Adds the root on the D string. The F shape on four strings, moved up three frets. |
| G#, barre at the fourth fret | 466544 | G# D# G# B# D# G# | The standard G#: the open E shape barred at fret 4, root in the bass. |
| G#, barre at the eleventh fret | x 11 13 13 13 11 | G# D# G# B# D# | The A shape at fret 11: first finger across, third finger flat over the fourth, third and second strings at fret 13. |
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#, C, 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#, from easy to full
1. Three strings: xxx544
Lay the first finger across the B and high E strings at fret 4. Put the second finger on the G string at fret 5. Strum only those three strings. You get the whole chord, light and high, with no full barre.
2. Four strings: xx6544
Keep that grip and add the third finger on the D string at fret 6. Now G# is the lowest note. If you can play the small F chord, xx3211, this is the same shape three frets higher.
3. The full barre: 466544
First finger flat across all six strings at fret 4. Second finger on the G string at fret 5, third finger on the A string at fret 6, fourth finger on the D string at fret 6. It is exactly the F chord barre, slid up three frets, and the frets are a little narrower there, so the stretch is easier than at fret 1.
G# or Ab: which name, and why it matters
On the guitar the two are one chord. The name only tells you what key the song is in, which helps you guess the chords around it.
| Written as | Notes | Typical context |
|---|---|---|
| G# | G#, B#, D# | Songs in E major or C# minor, where it is the chord that pulls to C#m. |
| Ab | Ab, C, Eb | Songs in Ab major, Eb major or F minor, all written with flats. |
The "Where it belongs" line above is calculated from the Ab spelling, which is why it shows flat keys. The one sharp key it names, C# minor, is the one guitarists meet most: there G# is the V chord, the major chord that sends the music home to C#m. In a song in E, the same G# acts as the V of C#m and borrows that pull, which is why it sounds so striking next to E and A.
Where to hear it
- The Pixies' Where Is My Mind? loops E, C#m, G#, A: the G# is the chord that gives the loop its lift before A.
- Adele's Hello runs Fm, Ab, Eb, Db on the record. The Ab there is this chord under its flat name.
- Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams plays Ab as a power chord between Fm and Eb. The power chord is 466xxx: G#, D#, G#, no third, so on its own it is neither major nor minor.
Next to it: G# minor, one note lower on the G string, G#maj7, and plain G, a half step down and played open. C# is the chord G# most often resolves to.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play a G# chord on guitar?
Is there an easy G# chord without a barre?
Is G# the same chord as Ab?
What notes are in a G# major chord?
What is the difference between G# and G#m?
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.