What is the G Minor Chord?
The G minor chord is formed from the first, the third and the fifth notes of the G minor scale.
The G minor chord is similar to a G major chord except that its third is lowered a half-step. Lowering the third makes the chord sound "sad" or "dark" instead of happy. You'll need to know how to play minor chords in order to play many of your favorite songs. The notes in the G minor chord, from lowest to highest, are G, Bb and D.
How to Play a G Minor Chord on Piano
In this guide, pianist Lindsey demonstrates how to play the G Minor chord on a piano or keyboard. G Minor is a three-note chord and a fundamental building block of songs and chord progressions. The guide is part of a series of piano lessons that are published and available for free on the Mahalo channel of YouTube.
How to Play a G Minor ChordÂ
Playing minor chords is easy and fun. In the video, Lindsey shows you a simple way to play the G minor chord. Start by playing a G major chord. Place your right thumb on G. Next, place your middle finger on B. Finally, place your little finger on D.
Now it's time to turn the G major chord into a G minor chord. Lower your middle finger one half-step from B to Bb. Now you have a G minor chord. Play all three notes at the same time. Make sure you play each note at the same volume.
References
Meet Our Experts
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Lindsey Cloud
Meet Lindsey Cloud, one of Mahalo's piano experts. A musician in Los Angeles, she received her bachelor's degree in music from Rhodes College. She currently works as a regular studio session musician and, since 2006, has been a private piano teacher for students of all ages and skill levels.
In Theory
Any minor triad (3 note chord) consists of the root, flat third and perfect fifth of its corresponding major scale.
In the key of G major, the root is G, the flat third is Bb and the perfect fifth is D.
Minor triads can also be seen as a combination of two intervals: a major third (4 half-steps) on top of a minor third (3 half-steps).c
G minor triads should not be confused with 4-note G minor seventh chords.
