semicord

G#m7 G# minor seventh chord

Notes
G# B D# F#
Formula
1 b3 5 b7
Semitones
0 3 7 10 above the root
Also written
Abm7 (Ab Cb Eb Gb)
Other symbols
G#min7, G#−7

G# to B is a minor third (3 semitones), B to D# is a major third (4 semitones), D# to F# is a minor third (3 semitones). A minor triad plus a minor seventh (F#). With B in the bass the same four notes are read as B6.

G#m7 on the piano

C4D4E4F4G4A4B4C5D5E5F5G5A5B5C#4Eb4F#4G#4Bb4C#5D#5F#5Ab5Bb5C4G#BC5D#F#

Root position from G#4: G#4, B4, D#5, F#5. Middle C is C4.

G#m7 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.

4frG#G#D#D#F#F#BBD#D#G#G#
E-shape barre, root on the E string at fret 4
4 6 4 4 4 4 (low E to high e)
Sounds G#2 D#3 F#3 B3 D#4 G#4
11fr×G#G#D#D#F#F#BBD#D#
A-shape barre, root on the A string at fret 11
x 11 13 11 12 11 (low E to high e)
Sounds G#3 D#4 F#4 B4 D#5

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 minor seventh chords on other roots.

Inversions of G#m7

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.

PositionNotes, bass firstNamedListen
Root positionG# B D# F#G#m7
1st inversionB D# F# G#B6 (also read as G#m7/B)
2nd inversionD# F# G# BG#m7/D#
3rd inversionF# G# B D#G#m7/F#

Where G#m7 fits

G#m7 is ii7 in F# major, iii7 in E major, vi7 in B major. As ii7 it is the first chord of the ii–V–I that ends countless jazz and pop phrases: G#m7 → C#7 → F#maj7.