G guitar chord: 4 ways to play G major

Ways to play G

Open position first, then up the neck. Tap a shape to put it on the fretboard above and hear it. The numbers are fingers (1 is your index), × means leave that string out, and ○ means let it ring open.

What's in G

A major chord stacks a major 3rd (four half steps) and a perfect 5th (seven half steps) on the root. For G that gives G, B and D. Every shape below is some arrangement of those three notes, with a few doubled in another octave.

Note	Formula	Interval from G
G	1	Root
B	3	Major 3rd
D	5	Perfect 5th

Major chords sound settled and bright. They are the I, IV and V of every major key, which is why so many songs get by on three of them.

The key of G major

One sharp (F♯). G is probably the most played key on acoustic guitar: G, C, D, Em and Am are all open chords, and the open G and D strings ring through the whole key.

The seven chords built from the G major scale:

IG
iiAm
iiiBm
IVC
VD
viEm
vii°F♯dim

Songs in G major

Knockin' on Heaven's Door, Bob Dylan
Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Green Day
Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison

Keys that use G

Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of G, B and D, and the chord's Roman numeral in each. Minor keys marked harmonic get the chord from the raised 7th of the harmonic minor scale.

Key	G is the
G major	I
D major	IV
C major	V
C minor (harmonic)	V
B minor	VI
E minor	III
A minor	VII

Progressions to try

I–IV–V in G major

G
C
D
G

The three-chord backbone of folk, blues and early rock and roll.

I–V–vi–IV in G major

The loop under a huge share of pop songs since the 1980s.

I–vi–IV–V in G major

The 1950s doo-wop progression. Same chords as above, different order, very different mood.

The relative minor is Em, which shares its key signature. The parallel minor is Gm, same root with the 3rd lowered.

Other chords on G:

See every chord in the library

G major chord