Minor scale · 7 notes
G♯ minor scale on guitar
The G♯ minor scale (G sharp minor scale) has 7 notes: G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E and F♯. The natural minor scale: the major scale’s darker twin, with a ♭3, ♭6 and ♭7. You may also see it written as A♭ minor, but G♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- G♯
- A♯
- B
- C♯
- D♯
- E
- F♯
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
W – H – W – W – H – W – W
Sound
Dark, sad or serious, without being exotic
G♯ minor on the whole fretboard
Every G♯ minor note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, G♯, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
G♯ at fret 4. 3rd position: frets 3–7.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of G♯ minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from G♯, the G♯ minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 5 sharps (G♯, A♯, C♯, D♯ and F♯). Compared with A♭ major, it has B (♭3) instead of C, E (♭6) instead of F and F♯ (♭7) instead of G.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G♯ | root | 0 |
| 2 | A♯ | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | B | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | C♯ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | D♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | E | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | F♯ | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in G♯ minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to G♯ minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in G♯ minor.
- iG♯mG♯ · B · D♯G♯m7
- ii°A♯°A♯ · C♯ · EA♯m7♭5
- ♭IIIBB · D♯ · F♯Bmaj7
- ivC♯mC♯ · E · G♯C♯m7
- vD♯mD♯ · F♯ · A♯D♯m7
- ♭VIEE · G♯ · BEmaj7
- ♭VIIF♯F♯ · A♯ · C♯F♯7
Progressions to try
- G♯m – E – B – F♯ i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII · epic rock/pop
- G♯m – C♯m – D♯m i–iv–v · minor blues-style
- G♯m – F♯ – E – F♯ i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII · rock riffing
- G♯m – C♯m – F♯ – B i–iv–♭VII–♭III · circle movement
How to use G♯ minor
Reach for it over songs in a minor key, over minor and minor 7th chords, and in rock, metal, pop ballads and folk. Its sound is dark, sad or serious, without being exotic.
Tip: Every minor scale shares its notes with a major scale three frets higher. If you know G major, you already know E minor: just treat E as home.
- G♯ minor is the relative minor of B major, so the two share all seven notes. See B major.
- G♯ minor contains exactly the notes of B major, played from its Aeolian note, G♯. See B major.
Where to find G♯ on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every G♯ between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with G♯ |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 4 |
| B (2nd) | 9 |
| G (3rd) | 1 |
| D (4th) | 6 |
| A (5th) | 11 |
| Low E (6th) | 4 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as G♯ minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
G♯ minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the G♯ minor scale?
The G♯ minor scale has 7 notes: G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E and F♯. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 5 sharps (G♯, A♯, C♯, D♯ and F♯).
What chords are in G♯ minor?
Harmonising the G♯ minor scale in thirds gives G♯m (i), A♯° (ii°), B (♭III), C♯m (iv), D♯m (v), E (♭VI) and F♯ (♭VII).
Where do you play the G♯ minor scale on guitar?
The root, G♯, is at fret 4 on the low E string and fret 11 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 3–7, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as G♯ minor?
G♯ minor is the relative minor of B major, so the two share all seven notes. G♯ minor contains exactly the notes of B major, played from its Aeolian note, G♯.