The G Major chord is easily one of the most popular guitar chords. The open G chord is one of the first chords that most guitarists learn. The open chord version of G uses all six guitar strings, so it feels and sounds like a ‘full’ chord.
The key of G is also a very popular key, with many Pop, Rock and Folk songs having been written in the key of G. Most of the chords in the key of G are also very common open chords (D, Em, C, Am) so it’s an obvious favourite for guitarist.
Some Quick G Chord Theory
- The G Major chord contains the notes G, B and D.
- The G Major chord is produced by playing the 1st (root), 3rd and 5th notes of the G Major scale.
- The G chord (just like all Major chords) contains the following intervals (from the root note): Major 3rd, minor 3rd, Perfect 4th (back to the root note).
- The G chord is the first chord in the key of G Major. The seven chords in the key of G Major are: G,Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F# diminished.
10 Ways To Play The G Major Chord
If you’ve come to this page just to view some chord diagrams for G, here they are.
![G Chord on the Guitar (G Major) - 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (1) G Chord on the Guitar (G Major) - 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (1)](https://i0.wp.com/onlineguitarbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/G-Major-Chord-10-Shapes-1024x706.png)
Standard G Chord Shape (Open G Chord)
The most common way to play the G chord is in the open position. This is one of the most commonly used chord shapes and one of the first ones that most guitarists learn.
![G Chord on the Guitar (G Major) - 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (2) G Chord on the Guitar (G Major) - 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (2)](https://i0.wp.com/onlineguitarbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/G-Chord-Guitar-1.png)
The above shape uses all four fingers, as well as the open strings. It is the most common way of playing the G chord. However, it is worth including a very popular variation that uses only three fingers, as shown below.
![G Chord on the Guitar (G Major) - 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (3) G Chord on the Guitar (G Major) - 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (3)](https://i0.wp.com/onlineguitarbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/G-Chord-Guitar-2.png)
Keep in mind that the two open G chord shapes above are both valid ways of playing the chord. Both chords contain the notes G, B and D. The difference between the two is that the first shapes adds an extra D note to the chord (on the 2nd string) whereas the second shape adds an extra B note to the chord (on the 2nd string).
Easy G Chord Shape
The easiest version of the G chord is essentially a mini version of the standard, open G chord (the three-finger version). It uses the first three strings of the guitar and only involves one finger (as well as open strings). These mini chords can be a great way to get started when learning the guitar, as they allow you to play chord songs without learning full (and sometimes difficult shapes).
How to Play the G Major Chord (Step by Step)
- Place your second finger on the third fret of the sixth string.
- Place your first finger on the second fret of the fifth string.
- Place your third finger on the third fret of the second string.
- Place your fourth finger on the third fret of the first string.
- Strum all six strings.
The instructions above are step by step instructions for playing the open G Major chord shape. These instructions can actually be super helpful when you feel like you’re interpreting the shape incorrectly. By going through the E chord instructions step by step, you can verify that you’re playing the chord correctly.
Barre Chord Shapes for G
The G chord can be played as a barre chord by playing a root 6 barre chord shape and starting on the 6th fret or by playing a root 5 barre chord Major shape and starting on the 10th fret:
![G Chord on the Guitar (G Major) - 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (5) G Chord on the Guitar (G Major) - 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (5)](https://i0.wp.com/onlineguitarbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Alternative-G-Chord-Shapes-Guitar.png)
G Major Triads
Most of the time, when we play the G chord, we play the standard shapes, such as the open position G and the barre chord shapes. However, learning the strict root position and inverted triads is a great way of exploring subtle and interesting variations that exist across the fretboard. The E Major triad can be voiced in the following three ways:
- G Major Triad (Root Position) – G, B, D
- G Major Triad (1st Inversion) – B, D, G
- G Major Triad (2nd Inversion) – D, G, B
Here are six different ways to play the G Major triad (including inversions).
![G Chord on the Guitar (G Major) - 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (6) G Chord on the Guitar (G Major) - 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (6)](https://i0.wp.com/onlineguitarbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/G-Major-Triad-Guitar.png)
Which Keys Have The G chord in Them?
The E chord can be found in the following keys:
- The key of G Major (G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F#dim)
- The key of D Major (D, Em, F#m, G, A, Bm, C#dim)
- The key of C Major (C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim)
- The key of E minor (Em, F#dim, G, Am, Bm, C, D)
- The key of B minor (Bm, C#dim, D, Em, F#m, G, A)
- The key of Am minor (Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F, G)
Alternative But Useful G Chord Shapes
The following shapes are alternative ways of playing the G Major chord shape. They’re not the most common G shapes, but used enough to include here as interesting alternatives.
![G Chord on the Guitar (G Major) - 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (7) G Chord on the Guitar (G Major) - 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (7)](https://i0.wp.com/onlineguitarbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/G-Major-Triad-Guitar.png)
G Chord Substitutions
The G chord can often be substituted with the G sus 4 chord, the G sus 2 chord and the G add 9 chord. The G chord can also be used itself as a substitute for more complicated chords, such as the G Major 7 chord, the G7 chord, and other extension chords which have G as the root note (it can’t be used in place of minor chords though!).
Which Scales Can Be Played Over the G chord?
The most common and effective scales that can be used to solo/improvise over the G Major chord, or to create melodies for the purposes of song writing are:
- G Major pentatonic scale – This scale will almost always work over the G Major chord, in any context.
- G Major scale – This is the ‘default scale’ of the G chord.
- G Lydian mode – This scale can be used over the G chord in certain contexts to add a jazz flavour.
- G Major Blues – This scale is particularly useful in a Blues context.
Further Reading
- G Major scale
- How Major chords work
- Chords page
- G Major arpeggio
- G/B chord
- G/D chord