G minor chord on guitar (Gm)

Gm is G, B♭ and D. The usual shape is 3-5-5-3-3-3, a barre at the 3rd fret. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.

3-5-5-3-3-3 · barre · medium

Notes: G · B♭ · D
Formula: 1 · ♭3 · 5
First shape: 3-5-5-3-3-3

How to play Gm on guitar

Shape 1, 3-5-5-3-3-3, reading from the low E string on the left, starts at the 3rd fret:

Index finger lies flat over all the strings, just behind the 3rd fret wire.
D: middle finger, 5th fret of the A string.
G: ring finger, 5th fret of the D string.

Keep the barre just behind the fret wire, not in the middle of the fret. Your thumb goes behind the neck, roughly opposite your middle finger.

Other ways to play Gm

x-x-5-3-3-3: movable shape at the 3rd fret, medium. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.
x-10-12-12-11-10: barre shape at the 10th fret, medium. This is the open Am shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.
x-10-8-7-8-x: movable shape at the 7th fret, medium. A small shape for quick changes and a lighter sound.

Capo shortcuts for Gm

A capo turns an open chord into Gm: capo on the 3rd fret and play the open Em shape (0-2-2-0-0-0) or capo on the 5th fret and play the open Dm shape (x-x-0-2-3-1). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

Changing from Gm to the chords around it

The chords Gm usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

C (V in F major): Gm (3-5-5-3-3-3) to C (x-3-2-0-1-0): move the index finger to the B string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the D string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the A string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Shared note: G. C on guitar
B♭ (IV in F major): Gm (3-5-5-3-3-3) to B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, move the middle finger to the D string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the G string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the B string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Listen for B♭ and D, which stay put while the rest moves. B♭ on guitar
F (I in F major): Gm (3-5-5-3-3-3) to F (1-3-3-2-1-1): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the A string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the D string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. F on guitar

Gm is a minor triad. A minor chord softens a progression. Try Gm right after G major to hear how much one note changes. The slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.

A short Gm drill

Before strumming, play 3-5-5-3-3-3 note by note: G then D then G then B♭ then D then G. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Then switch to x-x-5-3-3-3 and back four times without looking at your hand.

Keys and progressions with Gm

In G minor, i–VI–III–VII on guitar is Gm (3-5-5-3-3-3), E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3), B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1) and F (1-3-3-2-1-1). About the minor anthem.

In G minor, i–iv–V on guitar is Gm (3-5-5-3-3-3), Cm (x-3-1-0-1-3) and D (x-x-0-2-3-2). About the minor cadence.

In G minor, i–VII–VI–V on guitar is Gm (3-5-5-3-3-3), F (1-3-3-2-1-1), E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3) and D (x-x-0-2-3-2). About the Andalusian cadence.

Gm on piano and ukulele

The same notes on another instrument: Gm on piano and Gm on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.

Close to Gm

Other minor chords

Gm on guitar: questions

What notes are in Gm on guitar?

G, B♭ and D. In the 3-5-5-3-3-3 shape the strings play G (low E string), D (A string), G (D string), B♭ (G string), D (B string) and G (high E string), so G and D are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Gm on guitar?

No open-string Gm exists in standard tuning; x-x-5-3-3-3 is the place to start. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is Gm a barre chord on guitar?

Usually, yes. 3-5-5-3-3-3 has your index finger across the 3rd fret. The barre-free alternative is x-x-5-3-3-3.

Which string does Gm start on?

In the 3-5-5-3-3-3 shape the lowest string you play is the low E string at the 3rd fret, which is G, the root.

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside Gm. Updated September 2026.