G♯m6: G♯/A♭ Minor 6th Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	G♯, B, D♯, E♯	2-3-4-5
Left	G♯, B, D♯, E♯	5-4-3-2

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	G♯	Perfect unison	0
♭3	B	Minor third	3
5	D♯	Perfect fifth	7
6	E♯	Major sixth	9

Construction

G♯ Minor 6th = Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th + Major 6th = G♯, B, D♯, E♯

Note	Interval	Degree
G♯	Root	1
B	Minor 3rd	♭3
D♯	Perfect 5th	5
E♯	Major 6th	6

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
G♯	black	index finger (2)	little finger (5)
B	white	middle finger (3)	ring finger (4)
D♯	black	ring finger (4)	middle finger (3)
E♯	white	little finger (5)	index finger (2)

Right hand: index finger (2) on G♯, middle finger (3) on B, ring finger (4) on D♯, little finger (5) on E♯.

Left hand: little finger (5) on G♯, ring finger (4) on B, middle finger (3) on D♯, index finger (2) on E♯.

G♯ Minor 6th Inversions

Root position
G♯ – B – D♯ – E♯
1st inversion (G♯m6/B)
B – D♯ – E♯ – G♯
2nd inversion (G♯m6/D♯)
D♯ – E♯ – G♯ – B
3rd inversion (G♯m6/E♯)
E♯ – G♯ – B – D♯

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the G♯ Minor 6th is the tonic (i) chord of G♯ Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, B Major: 5 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯).

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of G♯ Minor

These are the triads built on each degree of G♯ Minor:

i — G♯ Minor (minor)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	i	G♯ Minor	Minor
2	ii°	A♯ Diminished	Diminished
3	III	B Major	Major
4	iv	C♯ Minor	Minor
5	v	D♯ Minor	Minor
6	VI	E Major	Major
7	VII	F♯ Major	Major

Scales That Include the G♯ Minor 6th

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes G♯ – B – D♯ – E♯ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

F Half Diminished→

G♯ Minor 6th : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the G♯ Minor 6th chord on piano?

The G♯ Minor 6th chord contains the notes G♯ – B – D♯ – E♯. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.

What is the G# piano chord?

The G# piano chord (written G♯ Minor 6th) uses the same keys: G♯ – B – D♯ – E♯. The # and ♯ symbols name the same black key.

What notes are in the G# Minor 6th chord?

G# Minor 6th is built from the G# root. Check the interactive keyboard above for exact notes and fingering.

How is the G# Minor 6th chord used in music?

G# Minor 6th appears in jazz, pop, and classical contexts. Its sound depends on the chord quality (Minor 6th).

What is the fingering for G# Minor 6th?

See the fingering chart above. Right hand typically uses thumb on root. Left hand uses pinky on root.

What are the inversions of G# Minor 6th?

Use the inversion buttons above to see each inversion with notes, fingering, and staff notation.

What is the descending chromatic line?

The classic line: m → mMaj7 → m7 → m6, only the top note moves chromatically.

G♯ Minor 6th in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	G♯3 B3 D♯4 E♯4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	B3 D♯4 E♯4 G♯4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	D♯4 E♯4 G♯4 B4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, third inversion	E♯4 G♯4 B4 D♯5	10	138 mm	none	identical
Drop 2	D♯3 G♯3 B3 E♯4	14	193 mm	none	identical
Drop 3	B2 G♯3 D♯4 E♯4	18	248 mm	none	identical
Drop 2 and 4	G♯2 D♯3 B3 E♯4	21	289 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Shell, root 6 ♭3	G♯2 E♯3 B3	15	206 mm	omits D♯	subset
Guide tones, ♭3 and 6	B3 E♯4	6	83 mm	omits G♯ and D♯	subset
Rootless close	B3 D♯4 E♯4	6	83 mm	omits G♯	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	G♯	G♯3, B3, D♯4, E♯4	7	9	124 mm
First inversion: G♯m6/B	B	B3, D♯4, E♯4, G♯4	6/5	9	124 mm
Second inversion: G♯m6/D♯	D♯	D♯4, E♯4, G♯4, B4	4/3	8	110 mm
Third inversion: G♯m6/E♯	E♯	E♯4, G♯4, B4, D♯5	4/2	10	138 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
G♯m	drops E♯	1 ♭3 5	3
G♯m7	E♯ becomes F♯	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	3
G♯mMaj7	E♯ becomes F×	1 ♭3 5 7	3
G♯dim7	D♯ becomes D	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7	3
G♯6	B becomes B♯	1 3 5 6	3
G♯m9	E♯ becomes F♯, A♯	1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9	3
G♯	B, E♯ becomes B♯	1 3 5	2
G♯dim	D♯, E♯ becomes D	1 ♭3 ♭5	2
G♯sus2	B, E♯ becomes A♯	1 2 5	2
G♯sus4	B, E♯ becomes C♯	1 4 5	2
G♯maj7	B, E♯ becomes B♯, F×	1 3 5 7	2
G♯7	B, E♯ becomes B♯, F♯	1 3 5 ♭7	2

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
G♯3	56	207.65 Hz
B3	59	246.94 Hz
D♯4	63	311.13 Hz
E♯4	65	349.23 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {8, 11, 3, 5}
Normal order: [3, 5, 8, 11]
Prime form: (0258)
Forte number: 4-27
Interval vector: <012111>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
G♯ to B	Minor third	3	3
G♯ to D♯	Perfect fifth	7	5
G♯ to E♯	Major sixth	9	3
B to D♯	Major third	4	4
B to E♯	Tritone	6	6
D♯ to E♯	Major second	2	2

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a minor 6th applied to the root G♯, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

G♯ Minor 6th

Fingerings

G♯ Minor 6th: notes and degrees