Guitar scale · natural minor, Aeolian mode
G Minor Scale
Emotional, sad, and epic tones defined by the classic natural minor scale.
Tap any note to hear it.
How to play G Minor on guitar
Find the root first: G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every G on the neck; the gold ones are the other chord tones (3rd, 5th and 7th), which are the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 3–7. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
G Minor uses exactly the same notes as Bb major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the Bb Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | G |
| 2 | A |
| ♭3 | Bb |
| 4 | C |
| 5 | D |
| ♭6 | Eb |
| ♭7 | F |
Fretwise for Android · Free
Practise G Minor anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of the Fretwise app. On your phone you get all 20 scales and 23 chord types in every key, 7 tunings including Drop D and DADGAD, and the CAGED shapes on one tap. No sign-up.
- Songwriter Handbook: the chords of any key, filtered by mood
- 51 genre practice loops, from blues to flamenco and neo-soul
- One purchase, no subscription, ads removed
Questions
- What notes are in the G Minor Scale?
- The G Minor Scale has 7 notes: G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F.
- What is the formula of the minor scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play G Minor on the guitar?
- The root G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 3–7, and four more positions connect it up the neck.