Chords In The Key Of G – How to use the most popular guitar chords of all

The chords in the key of G are probably the most common guitar chords of all. This is a fundamental group of chords for all guitarists to know. So let’s dive in!

In this free guitar lesson you will learn:

• how to find chords in the key of G major
• how to play the most useful chords in the key of G major
• 10 simple songs using chords in the key of G major

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The chords in the key of G are:

G, C, D, Em, Am, Bm, F# diminished

Why is knowing the chords in the key of G so useful?

It is useful to know how chords go together in a specific key for 6 important reasons:

1. it can help you work out elusive chord progressions in your favourite songs;
2. it can help you develop and strengthen your composition and songwriting skills by creating moods;
3. it can take your jam sessions into new and more interesting places;
4. it can make your accompaniments to singers more varied;
5. it can help you play along with different instruments that have fixed tuning;
6. it can enrich your improvisation skills and lead guitar work.

Now let’s discuss keys and why they matter…

(Then we’ll look at each chord in the key of G and discuss it in more detail.)

What is a key?

As the word suggests, a key is a sequence of notes that will help you slot into and unlock the secrets of a piece of music that otherwise, on first listening, seem tricky to work out.

There are many different keys, but all of them are made up of a set pattern of notes that correspond to a musical scale.

What is a scale?

A musical scale is set of notes that follows a defined pattern of sounds.

The commonest scale in western music is a major scale and it follows the tune of doh-rey-me-fah-soh-lah-tee-doh, made popular in the song from ‘The Sound of Music.’

The 7 notes of the major scale always follow a pattern of 7 intervals:

2-2-1-2-2-2-1

For example, the scale of G major is:

G A B C D E F#

You will notice that there is only 1 sharp note.

In stave notation, you can spot when a song is in the key of G major by looking for this:

How does this help you with the chords in the key of G major?

The chords in a major key always correspond to the major scale pattern, so logically, the chords in the key of G major follow the same pattern as the scale of G major.

However, there are 2 important points to remember:

First, for a chord to be consider as part of the key family, it must be made up from the notes of its parent scale. Therefore all the chords in the key of G major must be created from combinations of the seven notes:

G A B C D E F#

This means that although the scale might have A in it this does not mean the chord of A will be, since an A chord contains C# which is not in the scale of G major.

Second, to make it simple, the chords in a major key must stick to this pattern:

MAJOR, MINOR, MINOR, MAJOR, MAJOR, MINOR, DIMINISHED

Sometimes Roman numerals are used to help identify these. Major chords are capitalised and minor and diminished chords are lower case:

I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii

So, what are the chords in the key of G major?

Well following the pattern outlined above, the chords in the key of G major must be:

G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F#dim

Now you know the notes to play, you can play the chords of G major all day!

Brilliant! Now let’s look at those chords in more detail.

The three most commonly used chords in the key of G major are:

G C D

These three chords lie at the heart of most tunes in G major from folk or blues to grunge and death metal.

Here are some examples of G C D chord songs:

• Chuck Berry’s ‘No Particular Place To Go,’
• Led Zeppelin’s ‘Hot Dog,’
• Queen’s ’39’ or
• Van Morrison’s ‘Brown-Eyed Girl.’

They can also form the basis for your own songwriting adventure.

The chord of G

The chord of G is based on the first note or root note of the G major scale.

G is a very versatile chord with a bright uplifting sound and because it can be played in a variety of positions it is suitable for all levels of guitarist.

The basic chord of G is made from three notes:

G B D – that is the first, third and fifth notes of the G major scale.

How these notes are fretted across the 6 strings of your guitar creates the different variations possible. The great news is that each variation has a slightly different effect.

In theory, you can create all sorts of G chords, however you might find you will need extra long fingers to be able to stretch to every option.

For example, D B G D G B  would be challenging, whereas G B D G D G is quite easy.

Let’s look at the easiest option (the numbers in the chord box indicate the preferred positioning of each finger):

G Major

 

The chord of C

The chord of C has a happy voice and is based around the fourth note of the G major scale.

It appears in many tunes as it belongs to a natural set of chords that give a simple sound. The neat trick about a C chord is it can be played with 1 or 4 fingers depending on your level of ability.

The basic chord of C should include the three notes:

C E G – these are the fourth, sixth and first notes of the G major scale.

Let’s look at the easiest option (the numbers in the chord box indicate the preferred positioning of each finger):

C Major

The chord of D

The chord of D has a bright voice and quite ‘poppy’.

It is based around the fifth note of the G major scale. The chord of D requires at least 2 fingers, but has enough variations to satisfy most players of all levels.

The basic D chord should include:

D F# A – these are the fifth, seventh and second notes of the G major scale.

Let’s look at the easiest option (the numbers in the chord box indicate the preferred positioning of each finger):

D Major

The chord of Am

The second chord in the key of G major is A minor.

It is based on the second note of the G major scale. This chord is great for creating sad moments in an otherwise straightforward song. It is a go to chord in any repertoire and can be played in a range of fret locations.

The basic chord of Am is made from three notes:

A C E – these are the second, fourth and sixth notes of the G major scale.

Let’s look at the easiest option (the numbers in the chord box indicate the preferred positioning of each finger):

A minor

The chord of Bm

The third chord in the key of G major is B minor.

This chord works well if a melancholy feel is required. It is a trickier chord to use as its harmonics can be at odds with a guitar’s standard tuning, so it needs careful fretting.

The chord of Bm is made up from three notes:

B D F# – these are the third, fifth and seventh notes of the G major scale.

Let’s look at the easiest option (the numbers in the chord box indicate the preferred positioning of each finger):

B minor

The chord of Em

The sixth chord in the key of G major is E minor.

This chord is very important because it is the relative minor chord of G.

• It is great for changing the overall positive mood of verses or choruses, created in the key of G major, into a gloomier, bass boom feeling of a bridge or middle eight.
• It can be played in a host of positions on the fret-board regardless of your ability.

The chord of Em is made up from three notes:

E G B – these are the sixth, first and third notes of the G major scale.

Let’s look at the easiest option (the numbers in the chord box indicate the preferred positioning of each finger):

E minor

The chord of F#diminished

The seventh chord in the key of G major is F#dim.

• This is an edgy chord that adds an element of mystery to tunes, almost like a musical question mark or to keep the listener guessing about what will happen next. As such it has to be treated with caution and not overused.
• Like Bm, it needs to be fretted carefully to avoid sounding discordant in standard tuning.

The chord of F#dim is made up from three notes:

F# A C – these are the seventh, second and fourth notes of the G major scale.

As you may notice it resembles the chord D7 (this can be used as a substitute). 

Let’s look at the easiest option (the numbers in the chord box indicate the preferred positioning of each finger):

F#diminished

Bonus knowledge!

Now you know the main chords in the key of G, as a bonus you will also have automatically learnt all the main chords in the key of Em, because Em is G major’s relative key!

Therefore, the chords in the key of E minor are:

Em F#dim G Am Bm C D

Because the emphasis is on the minor chord, this key can be considered to be G major’s more plaintive twin sister.

What can I do next with all these chords in the key of G major?

Now you know the 7 main chords in the key of G major, you can:

• play loads of new songs
• compose some amazing tunes
• jam along or improvise like a guitar legend

10 Songs that use chords in the key of G major

Hundreds of songs use the chords in the key of G major and they cross all musical genres, including classical guitar.

Here are 10 to whet your appetite. They are, believe it or not, simply based around the chords of G C D with  a few extra chords from the key thrown in.

• Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd (C D Am G  Em)
• Come As You Are – Nirvana (Em G D)
• Blackbird – The Beatles (G Am C D Em)
• Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd (D C G)
• Nothing Else Matters – Metallica (Em D C G Bm)
• Good Riddance – Green Day (G C D Em)
• Lyin’ Eyes – The Eagles (G C Am D)
• Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash (G C D)
• Sweet Child of Mine – Guns ‘n’ Roses (D C G)
• Banana Pancakes – Jack Johnson (C G D Am)

Some songs written using the chords in the key of G will drop in an occasional sharp chord so don’t be surprised if an A chord or B chord pop up from time to time, as these often give songs a bluesy twist.

Composing using chords in the key of G major

Your knowledge of the chords in the key of G major can help you to compose a range of tunes that capture very different moods or ideas.

Play any chord from the key of G with any other chord from the key of G and it will sound good!

For blues songs or pop songs with a 1950’s feel, use the chords G C D as your starting point use a 12 bar blues sequence.

For a soulful sound add a minor chord to create the pattern – G Am C D – ‘Stand by Me’ is a good song to listen to.

For added boom use Em as an ending to a chord sequence – G D/F# Em.

Add some suspense at the end of a chorus by using F#dim, before going back to a verse or into a bridge.

Simply running through the 7 basic chords will start to suggest songs. For example, The Beatles’ ‘Here There and Everwhere’ follows this pattern.

6 great ways to jam along to songs in the key of G major

Now you know some songs that use chords in the key of G major and E minor, you can jam along using your knowledge of scales, too.

For example, if you have a friend who plays the chords to ‘Let Her Go’ by Passenger, you can improvise using the scales of:

• G major,
• G major pentatonic,
• E minor and
• E minor pentatonic.

Or, if you want a bluesier sound why not try using:

• G minor and
• G minor pentatonic.