The Key of G♯ Minor for Guitar
The key of G♯ minor has the notes G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯, 5 sharps (F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯), and its relative major is B major.
- Chords
- G♯m A♯dim B C♯m D♯m E F♯
- Main three
- G♯m C♯m D♯m
- Key signature of G♯ minor
- 5 sharps (F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯)
Chords in the key
Chords in G♯ minor · moved from G♯ minor · · tap to hear1 home chord of the key
35 on the 3rd and 5th
2 other degrees
Now sounding
Key · Capo
Showing: G♯ minor (page key)No capo: you play G♯ minor shapes as written.
Fretboard · G♯ minor 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–VI–III–VII
Stopped. Four beats per chord, strum D D U D.
Chords in G♯ minor, with notes
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i | G♯m | G♯ B D♯ |
| ii° | A♯dim | A♯ C♯ E |
| III | B | B D♯ F♯ |
| iv | C♯m | C♯ E G♯ |
| v | D♯m | D♯ F♯ A♯ |
| VI | E | E G♯ B |
| VII | F♯ | F♯ A♯ C♯ |
Seventh chords in G♯ minor
Add the next scale note a third above each triad and you get the four-note seventh chords of the key.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i7 | G♯m7 | G♯ B D♯ F♯ |
| iiø7 | A♯m7♭5 | A♯ C♯ E G♯ |
| IIImaj7 | Bmaj7 | B D♯ F♯ A♯ |
| iv7 | C♯m7 | C♯ E G♯ B |
| v7 | D♯m7 | D♯ F♯ A♯ C♯ |
| VImaj7 | Emaj7 | E G♯ B D♯ |
| VII7 | F♯7 | F♯ A♯ C♯ E |
Shapes and voicings for every chord: chord directory.
Why G♯ minor has 5 sharps (F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯)
Every minor scale uses the same step pattern: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole. Start that pattern on G♯ and the notes land on G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯, so the key needs F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯. On one string a whole step is two frets and a half step is one fret, up to the octave at fret 12.
G♯ minor scale in first position
Every note of G♯ minor 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 4, 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♯ minor 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♯ minor on guitar
G♯ minor has five sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯), the same as B major. Three of the six open strings are in the scale: both E strings and B. The open A, D and G strings are all a half step away from scale notes (A♯, D♯, G♯), so they need muting.
E is the one open chord. G♯m is the E-shape minor barre at fret 4 (4 6 6 4 4 4); C♯m and D♯m are A-shape barres at frets 4 and 6; B and F♯ are major barres; A♯dim is rare in songs. The open Emaj7 (0 2 1 1 0 0) is a soft VI chord with three open strings ringing.
Without a capo nearly every chord is a barre, which is why most guitarists reach for the capo in this key. Where a song needs a stronger pull home, D♯7 (x x 1 3 2 3) replaces D♯m: it is the open D7 grip moved up one fret, and its F𝄪 (played as G) comes from the harmonic minor scale.
Common progressions in G♯ minor
| Degrees | Chords | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| i–VI–III–VII | G♯m E B F♯ | G♯m E B F♯: open E is the only easy chord; capo 4 turns the loop into Em C G D. |
| i–iv–v–i | G♯m C♯m D♯m G♯m | G♯m C♯m D♯m G♯m: three minor barres; a D♯7 (x x 1 3 2 3) in place of D♯m gives a firmer cadence. |
| i–VII–VI–VII | G♯m F♯ E F♯ | G♯m F♯ E F♯: two barres around the open E, or Em D C D with capo 4. |
| i–iv–VII–III | G♯m C♯m F♯ B | G♯m C♯m F♯ B: a circle-of-fifths run ending on B, the relative major. |
Pick one in the player above and press Play to strum along, four beats per chord.
Capo and G♯ minor
Capo 4 with Em shapes is the easy route: G♯m, C♯m, D♯m, E, B and F♯ become Em, Am, Bm, C, G and D. Capo 6 with Dm shapes also sounds in G♯ minor, with a thinner, higher sound.
| Capo | G♯m shapes sound in |
|---|---|
| Fret 1 | A minor |
| Fret 2 | B♭ minor |
| Fret 3 | B minor |
| Fret 4 | C minor |
| Fret 5 | C♯ minor |
| Fret 6 | D minor |
| Fret 7 | E♭ minor |
Song in another key? Capo for G♯ minor 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 major: B major
B major uses the same seven notes, starting on B, the 3rd note of the scale. Its chord is the III in the row above. Songs often move between the two keys without changing a single chord shape.
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 B majorrelative
- The key of A♭ majorparallel
- The key of C♯ minorcircle, one step left
- The key of E♭ minorcircle, one step right
See how every key connects: interactive circle of fifths.
FAQ about G♯ minor
What chords are in the key of G♯ minor?
G♯m, A♯dim, B, C♯m, D♯m, E and F♯. E is the only open chord; the rest are barres without a capo.
What is the easiest way to play in G♯ minor?
Put a capo on fret 4 and play in E minor shapes. Em sounds as G♯m, and the open-chord loops of E minor all work.
Is G♯ minor the same as A♭ minor?
They sound the same. G♯ minor is written with five sharps; A♭ minor would need seven flats, so G♯ minor is the usual spelling.
What is the relative major of G♯ minor?
B major. Both have five sharps; B, the III chord of G♯ minor, is home in B major.
Next steps in G♯ minor
- Progressions in G♯ minorgenerate, hear and loop chord progressions in this key
- G♯ minor pentatonicthe five-note soloing scale
- G♯ harmonic minorraised 7th: where the major V chord comes from
- Guitar tunertune up before you play along