How to Play G Minor (Gm) on Guitar: Easy and Barre Shapes

G minor (written Gm) has a dark, warm, slightly dramatic sound. You'll find it in rock ballads, pop songs in F and B flat, folk tunes, film music and a lot of classical-inspired writing. It's also one of the chords beginners search for most, because it doesn't have an easy open shape like Em or Am.

This guide shows four ways to play G minor, from a simple three-finger version to the full barre, plus the notes in the chord, the chords it pairs with and some progressions to practice.

What is G minor?

G minor is made of three notes:

The only difference from G major is the middle note: G major has B, G minor has B flat, one fret lower. That one note is what turns a bright chord into a sad one. Our guide to major vs minor chords explains why.

1. Easy G minor (four strings)

This is the best place to start. It uses one finger to cover three strings, with the open D string underneath.

1. Lay your index finger across the G, B and high e strings at the 3rd fret.
2. Keep the finger close to the fret wire and roll it slightly onto its bony edge.
3. Strum the top four strings, starting on the open D string.

If one string buzzes, press a little harder on that part of the finger, or use three separate fingers (index, middle and ring on the G, B and e strings) instead. The three-string version on the right skips the open D, for a lighter sound.

2. Full G minor barre chord (3rd fret)

The full Gm uses the E minor shape moved up to the 3rd fret, with your index finger barring all six strings. It's the version you'll see on most chord charts.

1. Barre your index finger across all six strings at the 3rd fret.
2. Put your ring finger on the 5th fret of the A string.
3. Put your pinky on the 5th fret of the D string.
4. Strum all six strings.

The G, B and high e strings are played by the barre alone, so the barre needs to be firm on those strings. Check each one with the ring test: pick them one at a time and fix any that buzz. Our guide to barre chords for beginners covers barre technique in detail.

3. G minor at the 10th fret (A minor shape)

You can also play Gm using the A minor shape, barred at the 10th fret: index finger across the A to high e strings at the 10th fret, ring finger on the 12th fret of the D string, pinky on the 12th fret of the G string, and middle finger on the 11th fret of the B string. Strum from the A string.

This version sounds higher and brighter. It's useful when the rest of the song sits high on the neck, and the frets up there are narrow, so the stretch is small.

4. Gm7: an easier, softer cousin

Gm7 adds one note (F) to G minor. It has a smooth, mellow sound and works in place of Gm in many pop, soul and jazz songs. The easy version is a single barre:

• Easy Gm7: index finger across the D, G, B and high e strings at the 3rd fret. Strum the top four strings.
• Full Gm7: the full Gm barre with the pinky lifted off the D string.

The capo trick for Gm

Put a capo on the 3rd fret and play an ordinary E minor shape. It sounds as G minor. This is handy when a whole song is in G minor: with the capo on 3, the chords Gm, Cm and Dm become the easy shapes Em, Am and Bm (or Bm7). See our guide on how to use a capo.

Which version should you use?

Chords that go with G minor

G minor shows up in three main settings:

• As the home chord (key of G minor): Gm, Cm, Dm, Eb, F and Bb. Composers often use D or D7 instead of Dm, because the major V chord pulls more strongly back to Gm.
• As the ii chord (key of F): F, Gm, Am, Bb, C and Dm. Gm leading to C and then F is one of the most common moves in pop and jazz.
• As the vi chord (key of B flat): Bb, Cm, Dm, Eb, F and Gm.
• As the iv chord (key of D minor): Dm, Gm and A (or A7) are the three main chords.

G minor progressions to practice

Try these with easy versions of each chord first. Strum four beats per chord.

The second progression, falling one step at a time, is closely related to the Andalusian cadence, one of the most emotional sounds in music. Our guide to sad chord progressions explains why these work.

Practicing the changes

The hardest part of Gm is usually getting into it quickly from another chord. Practice these changes for one minute at a time:

• Dm ↔ Gm (easy): both are top-string shapes; your hand shifts up the neck.
• F ↔ Gm: if you play the full F barre at the 1st fret, slide the whole hand up two frets and change to the minor shape.
• Gm ↔ C: from easy Gm, lift the barre and land the C shape.

Count how many clean changes you make in a minute, and try to beat the number tomorrow. Our drills on how to change chords faster help with any pair.

Common mistakes

• Strumming the low strings on the easy version. Start on the D string; the low E and A aren't part of the shape.
• A buzzing barre. Move the index finger closer to the fret and roll it slightly onto its edge.
• Playing G major by mistake. If it sounds bright and happy, check the G string. In the easy Gm and the 3rd-fret barre, it's at the 3rd fret (B flat). At the 4th fret (B), you're playing G major.
• Too much pressure. Squeezing makes the chord go sharp and tires your hand. Use just enough to ring.

Other minor chords that work the same way

The shapes you used for Gm are movable. The E minor barre shape at the 3rd fret is Gm; slide it to the 5th fret and it's Am, to the 7th and it's Bm. Our guide to minor chords on guitar maps all twelve, and easy versions of hard chords has simple shapes for Bm, F#m, C#m and more.

A one-week plan for G minor

1. Day 1: learn the easy four-string Gm. Place it, do the ring test, release and repeat ten times.
2. Day 2: practice Dm ↔ Gm (easy versions) for three one-minute rounds. Count your clean changes.
3. Day 3: play Gm – Eb – Bb – F with a capo on the 3rd fret, using Em – C – G – D shapes. Listen to how dark and full it sounds.
4. Day 4: try the full barre higher up first: the same E-minor barre shape at the 5th fret is Am. Then move it down to the 3rd fret for Gm.
5. Day 5: play F – Gm – C – F, using the small F and easy Gm.
6. Day 6: add Gm7 and swap it in for Gm. Decide which sound you prefer in each progression.
7. Day 7: play a full progression for two minutes without stopping, then try it with the full barre Gm.

Keep barre practice to short bursts. If your hand tires, switch back to the easy shape and keep the music going.

Fretwork's path introduces barre chords and minor shapes step by step, once your open chords are solid. The first two stages are free, no card required.

Frequently asked questions