G chords on guitar

About the G chords on guitar

Most songs that use G chords start from G major, the notes G–B–D. Its relative minor key is E minor, which shares the same notes, so the chords of both keys mix naturally.

G appears in C major (V), G major (I), D major (IV), A minor (VII).

Triads are three-note chords, the backbone of most songs. The G triads are G (G–B–D), Gm (G–B♭–D), G5 (G–D), Gdim (G–B♭–D♭), Gaug (G–B–D♯).

Seventh chords add a fourth note, a seventh above the root, for a richer or more tense sound: G7 (G–B–D–F), Gmaj7 (G–B–D–F♯), Gm7 (G–B♭–D–F), Gdim7 (G–B♭–D♭–F♭), Gm7♭5 (G–B♭–D♭–F), Gm(maj7) (G–B♭–D–F♯), Gaug7 (G–B–D♯–F).

Extended and added-note chords stack a sixth, ninth, eleventh or thirteenth on top. On G: Gadd9 (G–B–D–A), Gm(add9) (G–B♭–D–A), G6 (G–B–D–E), Gm6 (G–B♭–D–E), G9 (G–B–D–F–A), Gm9 (G–B♭–D–F–A), Gmaj9 (G–B–D–F♯–A), G11 (G–B–D–F–A–C), G13 (G–B–D–F–A–E), G7♯9 (G–B–D–F–A♯), G7♭9 (G–B–D–F–A♭), G6/9 (G–B–D–E–A), Gadd11 (G–B–D–C).

Suspended chords replace the third with a second or fourth, so they sound open and unresolved: Gsus2 (G–A–D), Gsus4 (G–C–D), G7sus4 (G–C–D–F), G9sus4 (G–C–D–F–A).

On guitar, many G chords can be played as an open shape or as a barre chord higher up the neck. The diagrams show the most comfortable shape; each chord page has several more, a capo option and strumming patterns.

Chords marked "diagram only" are less common and do not have their own page yet; the diagram and the notes above are all you need to play them.