G♯ minor chord on piano (G♯m)
G♯m is G♯, B and D♯. You'll find G♯ on the middle black key of the three. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.
root position · G♯–B–D♯ · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- G♯ · B · D♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5
How to play G♯m on piano
From G♯, go 3 half steps up to B then 4 half steps up to D♯. That's the whole chord: 3 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on G♯, 3 on B and 5 on D♯.
- Left hand: 5 on G♯, 3 on B and 1 on D♯.
- On the keyboard it's black, white and black keys, the same pattern as C♯m and F♯m, so your hand shape carries over.
G♯m inversions
- root position: G♯–B–D♯. Fingers 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: B–D♯–G♯, with B at the bottom. Right hand 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: D♯–G♯–B (D♯ in the bass). Right hand 1-3-5.
Use the inversions to stay put: the next chord is often one inversion away from where your hand already is, as the changes below show.
G♯m chord changes
Songs rarely hold G♯m for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- C♯ (V in F♯ major): G♯m to C♯: play C♯ in 2nd inversion (G♯–C♯–E♯) and G♯ stays under the same finger, while B moves up to C♯ and D♯ up to E♯. C♯ on piano
- B (IV in F♯ major): G♯m to B: play B in 2nd inversion (F♯–B–D♯) and B and D♯ stay under the same fingers, while G♯ moves down to F♯. B on piano
- F♯ (I in F♯ major): G♯m to F♯: play F♯ in root position (F♯–A♯–C♯), while G♯ moves down to F♯, B down to A♯ and D♯ down to C♯. F♯ on piano
G♯m has the gentle, slightly melancholy sound of a minor chord. A minor chord softens a progression. Try G♯m right after G♯ major to hear how much one note changes. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
A short G♯m drill
Start with a broken chord, G♯ B D♯ B G♯, then play it solid. Then climb the inversions: G♯–B–D♯, then B–D♯–G♯, then D♯–G♯–B.
The keys of G♯m
G♯m is a minor chord, 1–♭3–5 from G♯. Root position, from the bottom: how G♯m is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| G♯ | black key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| B | white key | RH 3 · LH 3 | minor third |
| D♯ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
A♭m is another spelling of G♯m. Same keys, same sound.
Where G♯m shows up
In G♯ minor, i–VI–III–VII on piano is G♯m (G♯–B–D♯), E (E–G♯–B), B (B–D♯–F♯) and F♯ (F♯–A♯–C♯). About the minor anthem.
In G♯ minor, i–iv–V on piano is G♯m (G♯–B–D♯), C♯m (C♯–E–G♯) and E♭ (E♭–G–B♭). About the minor cadence.
In G♯ minor, i–VII–VI–V on piano is G♯m (G♯–B–D♯), F♯ (F♯–A♯–C♯), E (E–G♯–B) and E♭ (E♭–G–B♭). About the Andalusian cadence.
G♯m on guitar and ukulele
G♯m on guitar and ukulele uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Close to G♯m
Other minor chords
G♯m on piano: questions
What notes are in G♯m on piano?
G♯, B and D♯: G♯ (black key), B (white key) and D♯ (black key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play G♯m on piano?
Press G♯, B and D♯ together (2 black, 1 white). Right hand: 1 on G♯, 3 on B and 5 on D♯.
What are the inversions of G♯m?
1st inversion (B–D♯–G♯) and 2nd inversion (D♯–G♯–B), after root position (G♯–B–D♯). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does G♯m look like on the keyboard?
black, white and black keys, the same pattern as C♯m and F♯m, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes G♯, B and D♯ and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.