This article in the focuses on G minor chords as well as on chords in the G minor key.
If you are only interested to learn how to play a G minor (Sol minor) chord on a guitar or mandolin, take a look at the slideshow at the top of this article. You will find there common variants presented in a photo realistic fret boards.
If you want to understand and learn more about the G minor chords, I suggest you continue reading. The sections below include:
- The construction of G minor chord i.e. a little bit of music theory,
- G minor chords cheatsheet for guitar and mandolin that you can print,
- Diatonic chords used when playing songs on the key of G minor
- The most common G minor chords progressions.
Enjoy!
G minor chords construction – Music Theory
The G minor (Sol minor)consists of:
- The root, which for Gm is G (Sol)
- The third, which for Gm is Bb (Sib)
- The fifth, which for Gm is D (Re)
To play a G minor (Sol minor) chord you need to include these three notes or at minimum the root and the third. This is valid whatever instrument you are playing, be it mandolin, guitar or ukulele.
G minor chords – Mandolin Cheatsheet
As with all chords, there are many variants of the G minor chord for the mandolin. Here is a cheatsheet that presents eleven variants for you to practice.
G minor chords – Learn these by heart
Although you can practice all chords in the cheatsheet playing them one by one till you feel comfortable with all positions, do you actually need to know all variants presented here? Not really, but as music is really a language, the more variants you know the easier it will be for you to play and express yourself.
The three diagrams in this section are the three most common variants of the G minor chords on the mandolin you should learn to play by heart.
G minor on the mandolin
[sc:vextab][sc:vexfretboard]
option strings=4
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=1 string=2 text=1
show frets=3 string=1 text=3
option strings=4
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=3 string=4 text=3
show frets=1 string=2 text=1
show frets=3 string=1 text=4
option strings=4
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=3 string=4 text=1
show frets=3 string=3 text=1
show frets=5 string=3 text=3
show frets=3 string=2 text=1
show frets=5 string=2 text=4
show frets=3 string=1 text=1
G minor on the guitar
[sc:vextab][sc:vexfretboard]
option strings=6
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=3 string=6 text=2
show frets=1 string=5 text=1
show frets=3 string=2 text=3
show frets=3 string=1 text=3
option strings=6
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=3 string=6 text=1
show frets=5 string=5 text=3
show frets=3 string=5 text=1
show frets=5 string=4 text=4
show frets=3 string=4 text=1
show frets=3 string=3 text=1
show frets=3 string=2 text=1
show frets=3 string=1 text=1
option strings=6
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=0 string=6 text=x
show frets=0 string=5 text=x
show frets=5 string=4 text=3
show frets=3 string=3 text=1
show frets=3 string=2 text=1
show frets=3 string=1 text=1
Chords of the G minor key
So, what happens when a song is written on the G minor (Sol minor) key?
[You can identify that a song is written on the key of G minor when it starts and ends on a G minor, and also when it uses it frequently throughout the song.]
In this case, you need to understand what other chords can be used. Remember that the G minor key has two flats, a B flat and an E flat, meaning that the notes (and respective chords) in G minor key are:
G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F.
As this is a minor key, the chord type for each position (from first to seventh) is
minor, diminished, major, minor, minor, major, major
Combining the two above we find that the G minor key we can use are:
(Please note that roman numerals indicate each chord’s position relative to the scale)
| Position | Chord |
|---|---|
| i | Gm |
| ii0 | Adim |
| III | Bb |
| iv | Cm |
| v | Dm |
| VI | Eb |
| VII | F |
Gm chords progressions on mandolin
option strings=4
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=1 string=2 text=1
show frets=3 string=1 text=3
I – G minor
[sc:buildfretboarddiv cname=”Gminor-1″]option strings=4
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=2 string=4 text=2
show frets=1 string=3 text=1
show frets=3 string=2 text=3
show frets=5 string=1 text=4
II – A diminished
[sc:buildfretboarddiv cname=”Adim-1″]option strings=4
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=3 string=4 text=3
show frets=1 string=2 text=1
show frets=1 string=1 text=1
III – Bb major
[sc:buildfretboarddiv cname=”Bbmajor-1″]option strings=4
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=1 string=3 text=1
show frets=3 string=2 text=3
show frets=3 string=1 text=3
[sc:buildfretboarddiv cname=”Cminor-1″] IV – C minor
option strings=4
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=2 string=4 text=2
show frets=1 string=1 text=1
[sc:buildfretboarddiv cname=”Dminor-1″] V – D minor
option strings=4
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=1 string=3 text=1
show frets=1 string=2 text=1
show frets=3 string=1 text=3
[sc:buildfretboarddiv cname=”Ebmajor-1″] VI – Eb major
option strings=4
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=2 string=4 text=2
show frets=3 string=3 text=3
show frets=3 string=2 text=4
show frets=1 string=1 text=1
Gm chords progressions on guitar
option strings=6
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=3 string=6 text=2
show frets=1 string=5 text=1
show frets=3 string=2 text=3
show frets=3 string=1 text=3
I – G minor
[sc:buildfretboarddiv cname=”Guitar-Gminor-1″]option strings=6
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=0 string=6 text=x
show frets=1 string=4 text=1
show frets=1 string=3 text=1
show frets=2 string=3 text=2
show frets=1 string=2 text=1
show frets=0 string=1 text=x
II – A diminished
[sc:buildfretboarddiv cname=”Guitar-Adim-1″]option strings=6
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=0 string=6 text=x
show frets=1 string=5 text=1
show frets=1 string=4 text=1
show frets=1 string=3 text=1
show frets=1 string=2 text=1
show frets=1 string=1 text=1
show frets=3 string=4 text=2
show frets=3 string=3 text=3
show frets=3 string=2 text=4
III – Bb major
[sc:buildfretboarddiv cname=”Guitar-Bbmajor-1″]option strings=6
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=0 string=6 text=x
show frets=3 string=5 text=3
show frets=1 string=4 text=1
show frets=1 string=2 text=2
show frets=3 string=1 text=4
[sc:buildfretboarddiv cname=”Guitar-Cminor-1″] IV – C minor
option strings=6
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=0 string=6 text=x
show frets=0 string=5 text=x
show frets=2 string=3 text=2
show frets=3 string=2 text=3
show frets=1 string=1 text=1
[sc:buildfretboarddiv cname=”Guitar-Dminor-1″] V – D minor
option strings=6
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=0 string=6 text=x
show frets=0 string=5 text=x
show frets=1 string=4 text=1
show frets=3 string=3 text=2
show frets=4 string=2 text=4
show frets=3 string=1 text=3
[sc:buildfretboarddiv cname=”Guitar-Ebmajor-1″] VI – Eb major
option strings=6
option width=335
option frets=9
show frets=0 string=6 text=x
show frets=0 string=5 text=x
show frets=3 string=4 text=3
show frets=2 string=3 text=2
show frets=1 string=2 text=1
show frets=1 string=1 text=1
Common progressions in G (natural) minor
The most common progressions in G natural minor are:
- i – VI – VII (Gm – Eb – F)
- i – iv – VII (Gm – Cm – F)
- i – iv – v (Gm – Cm – Dm)
- i – VI – III – VII (Gm – Eb – Bb – F)
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