G G major chord
- Notes
- G B D
- Formula
- 1 3 5
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 above the root
- Other symbols
- GM, Gmaj
G to B is a major third (4 semitones), B to D is a minor third (3 semitones). The major triad: a major third with a minor third on top, the tonic chord of the key of G major.
G on the piano
Root position from G4: G4, B4, D5. Middle C is C4.
G on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has G as its lowest note.
3 2 0 0 0 3 (low E to high e)
Sounds G2 B2 D3 G3 B3 G4
3 5 5 4 3 3 (low E to high e)
Sounds G2 D3 G3 B3 D4 G4
x 10 12 12 12 10 (low E to high e)
Sounds G3 D4 G4 B4 D5
The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play major chords on other roots.
Inversions of G
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | G B D | G | |
| 1st inversion | B D G | G/B | |
| 2nd inversion | D G B | G/D |
Where G fits
G is I in G major, IV in D major, V in C major, V in C minor. As V in a minor key it comes from the harmonic minor scale, whose raised seventh degree is this chord's third, B.