The Key of G Major for Guitar
The key of G major has the notes G A B C D E F♯, 1 sharp (F♯), and its relative minor is E minor.
- Chords
- G Am Bm C D Em F♯dim
- Main three
- G C D
- Key signature of G major
- 1 sharp (F♯)
Chords in the key
Chords in G major · moved from G major · · tap to hear1 home chord of the key
35 on the 3rd and 5th
2 other degrees
Now sounding
Key · Capo
Showing: G major (page key)No capo: you play G major shapes as written.
Fretboard · G major scale
Tap a dot to hear it; it lights amber while it sounds. Brightest dot = 1, the root (G). Lighter grey = 3 and 5. High e on top, frets 0 to 12, no capo. Swipe the board sideways for frets 7 to 12.
Progression · I–V–vi–IV
Stopped. Four beats per chord, strum D D U D.
Chords in G major, with notes
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | G | G B D |
| ii | Am | A C E |
| iii | Bm | B D F♯ |
| IV | C | C E G |
| V | D | D F♯ A |
| vi | Em | E G B |
| vii° | F♯dim | F♯ A C |
Seventh chords in G major
Add the next scale note a third above each triad and you get the four-note seventh chords of the key.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | Gmaj7 | G B D F♯ |
| ii7 | Am7 | A C E G |
| iii7 | Bm7 | B D F♯ A |
| IVmaj7 | Cmaj7 | C E G B |
| V7 | D7 | D F♯ A C |
| vi7 | Em7 | E G B D |
| viiø7 | F♯m7♭5 | F♯ A C E |
Shapes for the 7th chords of G major: D7 chord, Am7 chord and Em7 chord.
Shapes and voicings for every chord: chord directory.
Why G major has 1 sharp (F♯)
Every major scale uses the same step pattern: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. Start that pattern on G and the notes land on G A B C D E F♯, so the key needs F♯. On one string a whole step is two frets and a half step is one fret, up to the octave at fret 12.
G major scale in first position
Every note of G major in frets 0 to 4. Play one finger per fret: fret 1 = finger 1, fret 2 = finger 2, fret 3 = finger 3, fret 4 = finger 4, open strings need no finger. Start on the lowest root, G on the 6th string, fret 3, and play up string by string.
Tap a dot to hear it. High e on top; the brightest dot is the root.
Past fret 4: G major scale in every position up the neck, with play-along and a root drone. Pentatonic, blues and the modes work over these chords too: see all guitar scales.
Playing in G on guitar
G major is one of the easiest keys on guitar. Five of its seven chords (G, Am, C, D, Em) are open chords, and all six open strings, E A D G B E, are notes of the scale. Open strings ring in almost every chord and scale run near the nut.
Bm is the one barre chord. Play it as an Am-shape barre at fret 2, or use the four-string Bm (x x 4 4 3 2) until the barre is clean. F♯dim is rare in songs; when a song needs F♯ in the bass, D/F♯ (D with F♯ in the bass) is the usual chord.
For the classic acoustic sound of the key, keep fingers 3 and 4 on fret 3 of the B and high e strings and move only the other fingers: G, Cadd9, Dsus4 and Em7 then share the same top notes and ring into each other. D/F♯ gives the walk-down G, D/F♯, Em, with the bass moving G, F♯, E.
Common progressions in G major
| Degrees | Chords | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| I–V–vi–IV | G D Em C | The four-chord pop loop. In G every chord is an open shape, so it is the usual first progression to learn. |
| I–IV–V–I | G C D G | The three-chord base of folk, country, blues and early rock and roll. G, C and D are the first three chords many players learn. |
| I–vi–IV–V | G Em C D | The 1950s doo-wop loop. Em shares two of its three notes with G and two with C, so the change is smooth. |
| vi–IV–I–V | Em C G D | The pop loop started on Em, so the same four chords sound minor and darker. |
| ii–V–I | Am D G G | The jazz cadence. In G it is Am, D, G: three open chords, a rare easy ii–V–I on guitar. |
Pick one in the player above and press Play to strum along, four beats per chord.
Capo and G major
G shapes are already open, so you rarely need a capo to play in G. Capo 7 with C shapes is a bright second-guitar part over someone playing open G. The other way round, G shapes with a capo are the usual way to move a song up for a singer: capo 2 for A, capo 4 for B.
| Capo | G shapes sound in |
|---|---|
| Fret 1 | A♭ major |
| Fret 2 | A major |
| Fret 3 | B♭ major |
| Fret 4 | B major |
| Fret 5 | C major |
| Fret 6 | D♭ major |
| Fret 7 | D major |
Song in another key? Capo for G major songs: the capo fret and easier shapes, or any other key.
New to the capo? How to use a capo: where to clamp it and why the same shapes sound in a new key.
Relative minor: E minor
E minor uses the same seven notes, starting on E, the 6th note of the scale. Its chord is the vi in the row above. Songs often move between the two keys without changing a single chord shape.
Songs in G major
- Knockin' on Heaven's Door · Bob Dylan
- Brown Eyed Girl · Van Morrison
- Wish You Were Here · Pink Floyd
Recorded in G. Play them with the G shapes above, no capo.
Have a recording and no idea what key it is in? Find the key of a song from the audio file or by letting it listen; it also gives the chords to play and the easiest capo.
Related keys
- The key of E minorrelative
- The key of G minorparallel
- The key of C majorcircle, one step left
- The key of D majorcircle, one step right
See how every key connects: interactive circle of fifths.
FAQ about G major
What chords are in the key of G major?
G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F♯dim. The three main chords are G (I), C (IV) and D (V).
Why does G major have an F sharp?
A major scale needs a half step between the 7th note and the octave. From G, that 7th note must be F♯, one fret below G.
What is the relative minor of G major?
E minor. It uses the same seven notes and the same chords; a song in E minor treats Em as home instead of G.
How do I play in A using G chord shapes?
Put a capo on fret 2 and play the G major shapes. Every chord sounds two semitones higher, so G sounds as A.
Why is G major so common on guitar?
Five of its seven chords are open chords and all six open strings are notes of the scale, so chords ring fully and scale runs stay near the nut.
Next steps in G major
- Progressions in G majorgenerate, hear and loop chord progressions in this key
- G major pentatonicfive notes for melodies and fills
- Open G (DGDGBD)the open strings ring a G chord
- Guitar tunertune up before you play along