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Piano chord · Minor triad

G minor piano chord (Gm)

G minor is G – B♭ – D. Right hand fingers 1-3-5.

Root position
GmG minor

G – B♭ – D

Built from the root, minor 3rd, perfect 5th. Keys show right-hand fingers: 1 = thumb.

G minor in root position on the treble staff
G minor in root position on the treble staff
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Next moves

G, B♭ and D, played together. Root position is lit on the keyboard above — press Play chord to hear it, or switch to an inversion.

Notes in Gm: G, B♭ and D

The notes of the G minor chord in root position, with their interval from the root and the key each one is on the keyboard
NoteInterval from the rootKey around middle C
GRootG4 · white key
B♭Minor 3rdA♯4 · black key
DPerfect 5thD5 · white key
  • Chord symbol: Gm — G minor
  • Formula: root, minor 3rd, perfect 5th (0 · 3 · 7 half steps (semitones) from the root)
  • Right hand fingering: 1-3-5 — thumb, middle finger and little finger
  • Left hand fingering: 5-3-1, little finger on the root

How Gm works

G minor lowers the B of G major onto B♭, and that single black key turns the bright dominant of C major into one of the most expressive minor chords on the keyboard. It is the model for every flat-third shape that follows.

Gm inversions

An inversion keeps the same notes and changes which one is at the bottom. That matters because it lets you move between chords without jumping: the closer the notes of the next chord are to the ones your hand is already holding, the smoother it sounds and the easier it is to play. Root position first, then two inversions.

  • Root position

    G–B♭–D — the root, G, is at the bottom.

    Right hand1-3-5Left hand5-3-1

  • 1st inversion — B♭ in the bass

    B♭–D–G — the same three notes, reordered so B♭ is lowest.

    Right hand1-2-5Left hand5-3-1

  • 2nd inversion — D in the bass

    D–G–B♭ — the same three notes, reordered so D is lowest.

    Right hand1-3-5Left hand5-2-1

Fingering for G minor in every position
PositionNotes, lowest firstRight handLeft hand
Root positionG – B♭ – D1 – 3 – 55 – 3 – 1
1st inversionB♭ – D – G1 – 2 – 55 – 3 – 1
2nd inversionD – G – B♭1 – 3 – 55 – 2 – 1

1 = thumb, 5 = little finger. Notes listed from the lowest key up.

Common mistakes on Gm

  • Playing B natural, which is simply G major again.
  • Using finger 2 on B♭ and losing the 1-3-5 frame of the hand.
  • Pressing B♭ near its back edge, where the key resists and the note comes out uneven.

G minor FAQ

What notes are in G minor?

G, B♭ and D: the root, minor 3rd, perfect 5th.

What fingers do I use for G minor?

In root position, right hand 1-3-5 and left hand 5-3-1 (1 = thumb, 5 = little finger). 1st inversion: right hand 1-2-5, left hand 5-3-1; 2nd inversion: right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-2-1.

What are the inversions of G minor?

1st inversion: B♭–D–G. 2nd inversion: D–G–B♭. Same notes, a different one at the bottom.

G minor piano chord diagram
Gm piano chord chart: G, B♭, D highlighted and labeled on the keyboard.

Piano chord data last updated . Every diagram here, in the printable PDF and in the chart image comes from one dataset, so the paper and the screen cannot disagree.