Minor scale · 7 notes
G minor scale on guitar
The G 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.
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 3. 2nd position: frets 2–6.
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 2 flats (B♭ and E♭). Compared with G major, it has B♭ (♭3) instead of B, E♭ (♭6) instead of E and F (♭7) instead of F♯.
| 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.
- iGmG · B♭ · DGm7
- ii°A°A · C · E♭Am7♭5
- ♭IIIB♭B♭ · D · FB♭maj7
- ivCmC · E♭ · GCm7
- vDmD · F · ADm7
- ♭VIE♭E♭ · G · B♭E♭maj7
- ♭VIIFF · A · CF7
Progressions to try
- Gm – E♭ – B♭ – F i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII · epic rock/pop
- Gm – Cm – Dm i–iv–v · minor blues-style
- Gm – F – E♭ – F i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII · rock riffing
- Gm – Cm – 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) | 3 |
| B (2nd) | 8 |
| G (3rd) | 0, 12 |
| D (4th) | 5 |
| A (5th) | 10 |
| Low E (6th) | 3 |
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 2 flats (B♭ and E♭).
What chords are in G minor?
Harmonising the G minor scale in thirds gives Gm (i), A° (ii°), B♭ (♭III), Cm (iv), Dm (v), E♭ (♭VI) and F (♭VII).
Where do you play the G minor scale on guitar?
The root, G, is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 2–6, 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.