The Key Of G Major For Guitar

The key of G major includes the notes: G – A – B – C – D – E – F#

When assembled in order (from highest note to lowest, or vice versa) the notes form the G major scale.

Table of Contents

The Sound of G Major

The key of G major is an interesting key for guitarists for several reasons:

Open Chords: G major is one of the primary keys that allows for a variety of open chords. The open chords in the key of G major (G, C, D, Em, Am) are some of the first chords that many beginner guitarists learn. These chords can be played in their open positions, making them accessible to players of all skill levels.

Transposition: The key of G major is relatively easy to transpose into other keys using basic chord shapes. Guitarists often learn to use a capo to change the key while maintaining familiar chord shapes, which can be especially useful for vocal accompaniment.

Transitional Key: G major is often used as a transitional key in music. It’s a common choice to modulate (change keys) to and from, making it a versatile key for creating musical movement.

Fingerstyle and Strumming: G major works well for both fingerstyle and strumming techniques. The open chords and the comfortable key position make it conducive to creating a variety of textures and styles.

The G Major Scale Step Pattern

The G Major scale (like all major scales) follows the step pattern of:
whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.

The G Major Scale on Guitar

One way to play the G major scale is to use the caged E shape scale pattern shown below. Keep in mind scales can be played in many different ways.

The G Major Scale for Guitar (Chart and Tabs)

Chords In The Key Of G Major

All chords constructed from major scales follow the pattern of:

Major, minor, minor, Major, Major, minor, Diminished.

Maj	min	min	Maj	Maj	min	Dim
G	a	b	C	D	e	F#

Each of these chords is formed by taking a note from the G major scale as the root and stacking notes in thirds on top of it.

Below are the chords and their respective notes from the G major scale:

Chord	Notes
G Major	G, B, D
a minor	A, C, E
b minor	B, D, F#
C Major	C, E, G
D Major	D, F#, A
e minor	E, G, B
F# diminished	F#, A, C

7th Chords in G Major

Seventh chords are four-note chords that consist of a root note, a third, a fifth, and an additional note called the seventh. The seventh note adds color and complexity to the chord, creating a distinct harmonic character. There are several types of seventh chords, each with its unique sound and function in music.

Chord	Notes
G Major 7	G, B, D, F#
a minor 7	A, C, E, G
b minor 7	B, D, F#, A
C Major 7	C, E, G, B
D Dominant 7 (D7)	D, F#, A, C
e minor 7	E, G, B, D
F# Half-Diminished 7 (Minor 7 Flat 5)	F#, A, C, E

Chord Function

Chords play very specific roles within given keys due to the interplay between the notes that make up the chords, which allows for pleasing chord progressions.

For example, the V chord, or dominant chord (Dmaj) plays an important role in this regard, due to its instability when compared to G Major. This instability introduces tension which hints, strongly, at resolving the tension by returning to the tonic chord (Gmaj).

Tonic	Supertonic	Mediant	Subdominant	Dominant	Submediant	Subtonic
I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°
Gmaj	amin	bmin	Cmaj	Dmaj	emin	F#dim

* Capitals denote Major chords, lower case denotes minor chords.

Common Chord Progressions In G Major

I – V – vi – IV	Gmaj – Dmaj – emin – Cmaj
I – IV – V	Gmaj – Cmaj – Dmaj
I – vi – IV – V	Gmaj – emin – Cmaj – Dmaj
I – IV – vi – V	Gmaj – Cmaj – emin – Dmaj
I – V – vi – iii – IV	Gmaj – Dmaj – emin – bmin – Cmaj