How to Play a Gm Chord on Guitar
The Gm chord is a full six-string G minor chord. This page shows the finished shape first, then walks through each finger placement in order.
What the finished Gm chord looks like
Play the barre shape with the index finger across fret 3, the ring finger on the A string at fret 5, and the pinky on the D string at fret 5. The low E string is the root, so the chord is named for G.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low E (6th) | 3 | 1 (index, barre) | G |
| A (5th) | 5 | 3 (ring) | D |
| D (4th) | 5 | 4 (pinky) | G |
| G (3rd) | 3 | 1 (index, barre) | Bb |
| B (2nd) | 3 | 1 (index, barre) | D |
| High e (1st) | 3 | 1 (index, barre) | G |
*Table note: Fret numbers count from the nut. Fingers are numbered 1 (index) to 4 (pinky).
The three notes in Gm
A Gm chord is built from G, Bb, and D. The shape above uses all three notes, and G appears twice: on the low E string and the high e string. Use the table above to check that each sounding string matches one of these notes.
Play the Gm chord in six steps
Set your thumb behind the neck.
Move your thumb to the middle of the back of the neck so your index finger can press flat across the strings.
Lay the index finger across fret 3.
Press the flat part of the finger across all six strings at the third fret.
Place the ring finger on the A string at fret 5.
Keep the index finger in place while you add this finger.
Place the pinky on the D string at fret 5.
Put the pinky right next to the ring finger on the D string.
Strum the low E string first.
Pluck the strings one at a time from low to high.
Strum all six strings together.
Strum from the low E string down.
Check each string before strumming the whole chord.
Other common Gm shapes
Once the main shape is comfortable, these two shapes play the same three notes in different places on the neck.
| Shape | Strings low to high | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four-string Gm | D, G, B, high e | x, x, 5, 3, 3, 3 | G, Bb, D, G |
| A-string root Gm | A, D, G, B, high e | 10, 12, 12, 11, 10 | G, D, G, Bb, D |
*Shape notes: In the four-string shape, skip the low E and A strings. Play it with the index finger across the B and high e strings at fret 3, the ring finger on the G string at fret 3, and the pinky on the D string at fret 5. The A-string root shape is higher on the neck and has a wider stretch, so play it only after the barre shape sounds clean.
Fix the most common Gm problems
A string buzzes or sounds dull
The ring finger is too far from the fret wire or too far back on the string. Move it closer to the fret wire until the note rings clearly.
A string is muted or silent
The index finger does not press all six strings, or another finger touches a string next to it. Re-press the index finger flat across the strings and lift any finger that touches a neighboring string.
The chord hurts to hold
The thumb is wrapped too high over the neck. Move the thumb to the middle of the back of the neck so the index finger can press flat.
The four-string Gm is hard to press
Keep the index finger on the B and high e strings only. Use the ring and pinky fingers on the G and D strings, and skip the low E and A strings.