G Minor (Gm)

Download MIDI
1+b3+5
G1D5Bb3
4 4

Notes in G Minor

G (root)BbD

Inversions

Same notes as G Minor, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

G in the bass

G1D5Bb3

1st inversion

Bb in the bass (Gm/Bb)

D2G5Bb1

2nd inversion

D in the bass (Gm/D)

D1G3Bb5

G Minor is built from G, Bb and D.

Shrink the major third by a semitone and the same stable shape turns melancholy. A minor triad still resolves, it just carries a heavier, more introspective mood than its major counterpart. Sad songs lean on it constantly, but so do tense film cues and moody grooves, so treat the label as a starting point rather than the whole story.

Difficulty: Beginner. Category: Triads. Click any highlighted key on the diagram above, or tab to it and press Enter, to hear that single note. Inversions mark the bass note with a contrasting outline.