Guitar scale · natural minor, Aeolian mode
G Minor Scale
Emotional, sad, and epic tones defined by the classic natural minor scale.
Tap any note to hear it.
G Minor Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------3-5-6-| B|-------------------------4-6-------| G|-------------------3-5-7-----------| D|-------------3-5-7-----------------| A|-------3-5-6-----------------------| E|-3-5-6-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-6-8-| B|-------------------------6-8-------| G|-------------------5-7-8-----------| D|-------------5-7-8-----------------| A|-------5-6-8-----------------------| E|-5-6-8-----------------------------|
e|------------------------------------8-10-11-| B|----------------------------8-10-11---------| G|---------------------7-8-10-----------------| D|--------------7-8-10------------------------| A|---------8-10-------------------------------| E|-8-10-11------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------10-11-13-| B|-------------------------------------11-13----------| G|----------------------------10-12-14----------------| D|-------------------10-12-13-------------------------| A|----------10-12-13----------------------------------| E|-10-11-13-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------13-15-| B|----------------------------------13-15-16-------| G|-------------------------12-14-15----------------| D|----------------12-13-15-------------------------| A|-------12-13-15----------------------------------| E|-13-15-------------------------------------------|
How to play G Minor on guitar
Find the root first: G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every G on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 3–7. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
G Minor uses exactly the same notes as Bb major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the Bb Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | G |
| 2 | A |
| ♭3 | Bb |
| 4 | C |
| 5 | D |
| ♭6 | Eb |
| ♭7 | F |
Chords in G Minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in G Minor; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Gm | Gm7 | Tonic |
| ii° | Adim | Am7b5 | Supertonic |
| ♭III | Bb | Bbmaj7 | Mediant |
| iv | Cm | Cm7 | Subdominant |
| v | Dm | Dm7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | Eb | Ebmaj7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | F | F7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
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Questions
- What notes are in the G Minor Scale?
- The G Minor Scale has 7 notes: G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F.
- What chords are in the G Minor Scale?
- The chords of G Minor are Gm (i), Adim (ii°), Bb (♭III), Cm (iv), Dm (v), Eb (♭VI), F (♭VII).
- What is the formula of the minor scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play G Minor on the guitar?
- The root G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 3–7, and four more positions connect it up the neck.