G♯ minor seventh chord (G♯m7)

G♯ minor seventh is a 4-note minor seventh chord: G♯ – B – D♯ – F♯. It sounds relaxed, warm and a little melancholic. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio. Also called A♭ minor seventh (A♭m7).

NotesG♯ – B – D♯ – F♯
Formula1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7
SymbolG♯m7 · G♯min7 · G♯-7
EnharmonicA♭ minor seventh (A♭m7)

G♯ minor seventh on guitar

Barre at fret 4 (E shape)
Barre at fret 11 (A shape)

How to place your fingers (barre at fret 4)

Barre fret 4 with your index finger, from the 6th to the 1st string.
Finger 3 (ring) on fret 6 of the 5th string (A).

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (G♯). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

G♯ minor seventh on piano

In root position, play G♯ – B – D♯ – F♯ from bottom to top with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 of your right hand. With your left hand you usually play just the root (G♯) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: B – D♯ – F♯ – G♯
Second inversion: D♯ – F♯ – G♯ – B
Third inversion: F♯ – G♯ – B – D♯

G♯ minor seventh on ukulele

From fret 1
From fret 4

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of G♯ minor seventh

G♯1 · root
B♭3 · minor third
D♯5 · perfect fifth
F♯♭7 · minor seventh

It's the second degree of the jazz ii–V–I progression and shows up in salsa, funk, neo soul and pop.

Progressions with G♯m7

The ii–V–I: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7

G♯m7 is the second degree of F♯ major.

Two-chord vamp: i7 – IV7

A typical funk, soul and salsa groove.

Which keys contain G♯ minor seventh?

G♯m7 belongs to 6 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
E major	iii7
F♯ major	ii7
B major	vi7
C♯ natural minor	v7
D♯ natural minor	iv7
G♯ natural minor	i7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the G♯ minor seventh chord?

G♯ minor seventh (G♯m7) has 4 notes: G♯ (root), B (minor third), D♯ (perfect fifth), F♯ (minor seventh).

How do you play G♯ minor seventh on guitar?

The most common shape uses a barre at fret 4: 4 6 4 4 4 4 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Barre fret 4 with your index finger, from the 6th to the 1st string. Place finger 3 (ring finger) at fret 6 on the 5th string (A).

Is G♯m7 the same as A♭m7?

Yes: G♯ minor seventh and A♭ minor seventh sound the same and are played the same way (they are enharmonic). The spelling depends on the song's key; you'll see both names in scores and songbooks.

How do you write G-sharp minor seventh in chord notation?

It is written G♯m7; you may also see G♯min7 or G♯-7. Letter notation uses these equivalents to solfège: C = Do, D = Re, E = Mi, F = Fa, G = Sol, A = La, and B = Si.

Want to play whole songs?

A teacher shows you how to change chords smoothly, strum and play along to your favorite songs, in online lessons or at home in Bogotá.

Message us on WhatsApp See lessons