One of the first chords many guitarists will learn is G major, but the G sharp major is just as important.
Here are a few positions and songs to guide you as you practice the G# chord on the guitar.
4th-Fret G# Chord
Directions:
- Use your 1st finger to barre off all strings across the 4th fret.
- Place your 2nd finger on the 5th fret, string 3 (G).
- Next, move your 3rd and 4th finger to the 6th fret. Finger 3 goes to string 5 (A), 4 to string 4 (D).
- Strum all 6 strings.
Remember that the further up (toward the bridge) you move on the guitar neck, the higher the pitch.
For a higher-pitched G# chord, try the next position.
8th-Fret G# Chord
This way to strike the G sharp major chord uses 3 fingers.
Directions:
- Put your 1st and 2nd finger on the 8th fret. Finger 1 goes on string 3 (G) and finger 2 goes on string 1 (E).
- Press your 3rd finger to the 9th fret, string 2 (B).
- Keep strings 6 to 4 (low E to D) silent, and strum the rest.
You can also add some more notes to this by pressing down the 4th string on the 10th fret and the 5th string on the 11th fret.
11th-Fret G# Chord
Want to produce a G# at an even higher pitch? Try this method.
Directions:
- Put your 1st finger on the 11th fret. Barre down Strings 1 to 5 (E to A).
- Move your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th finger to the 13th fret.
- Match the 2nd finger to string 4 (D), 3rd to string 3 (G), 4th to string 2 (B).
- Strum strings 5 to 1 (A to E).
Try a simple barre: D flat minor (Dbm)
Theory
Most of the basic guitar chords are made of 3 notes. For the G# chord, it includes G# (the root), B# (the 3rd), and D# (the 5th).
Contrast that with a standard G chord, which uses G, B, and D. On the flipside, G sharp minor (or G#m) consists of G#, B, and D#.
In music theory, you’ll often see people call the G# chord an Ab (A flat major) instead. These chords are enharmonic, meaning they are the same chord. Whether a particular song asks for Ab or G#, you can use the following chords!
Still struggling with these charts? Learn to read chord charts correctly before trying any chords!
Songs in Key of G# Major
The G sharp major chord has been useful to both “hard” and emotional rock n’ roll songs. You can find several songs in the key of G# here:
- Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana.
- American Idiot by Green Day.
- Viva La Vida by Coldplay.
- Somebody to Love by Queen.
- Stain’ Alive by The Bee Gees.
- Don’t Speak by No Doubt.
The most popular progressions from the G# chord are A#m, D#, and Fm. You can also hear songs combine it with Cm and C# (better known as Db).
With any progression you choose to play, you can voice the chord as you please with these starting positions.
More Chords to Try:
Gb guitar chord (G flat major)
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