# G Minor piano chord (Gm)

Gm contains G, B♭ and D. A minor third with a perfect fifth above the root. B♭ is a black key; G and D are white.

- Canonical page: https://piano.org/chords/minor/g/
- Entity: chord:minor:g
- Notes: G B♭ D
- Formula: 1 ♭3 5
- Intervals from root: P1, m3, P5
- Interval stack (semitones): 3 4
- Also written: Gm, Gm, G minor
- Parameters: A440, 12-TET, 165 mm octave, spans centre to centre

## Construction

| Degree | Note | Interval from root | Semitones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | G | Perfect unison | 0 |
| ♭3 | B♭ | Minor third | 3 |
| 5 | D | Perfect fifth | 7 |

## Fingering

Rest your right hand over the notes with finger 1 on G, finger 3 on B♭, finger 5 on D. The left hand mirrors it.
Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. Source: piano.org fingering method v1.

## Inversions

| Position | Bass | Notes in order | Figured bass | Span |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Root position | G | G3 B♭3 D4 | 5/3 | 7 st, 96 mm |
| First inversion (Gm/B♭) | B♭ | B♭3 D4 G4 | 6/3 | 9 st, 124 mm |
| Second inversion (Gm/D) | D | D4 G4 B♭4 | 6/4 | 8 st, 110 mm |

## Voicings (5)

| Voicing | Notes | Span | Relation | Omits or adds |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Close, root position | G3 B♭3 D4 | 7 st, 96 mm | identical | none |
| Close, first inversion | B♭3 D4 G4 | 9 st, 124 mm | identical | none |
| Close, second inversion | D4 G4 B♭4 | 8 st, 110 mm | identical | none |
| Open, fifth on top | G2 D3 B♭3 | 15 st, 206 mm | identical | none |
| Root and third only | G3 B♭3 | 3 st, 41 mm | subset | omits D |

## Diatonic function by key

| Key | Roman numeral | Function |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C minor | v | Minor dominant |
| D minor | iv | Subdominant |
| E♭ major | iii | Tonic substitute |
| F major | ii | Predominant |
| G minor | i | Tonic, home |
| B♭ major | vi | Tonic substitute |

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

## Progressions (7)

| Progression | Key | Role | Sequence | Voice leading |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| v, i | C minor | v | Gm to Cm | Gm opens the phrase |
| ii°, v, i | C minor | v | Ddim to Gm to Cm | 1 tone held from Ddim |
| iv, v, i | D minor | iv | Gm to Am to Dm | Gm opens the phrase |
| i, iv | D minor | iv | Dm to Gm | 1 tone held from Dm |
| iii, vi, ii, V | E♭ major | iii | Gm to Cm to Fm to B♭ | Gm opens the phrase |
| I, iii | E♭ major | iii | E♭ to Gm | 2 tones held from E♭ |
| ii, V, I | F major | ii | Gm to C to F | Gm opens the phrase |

## One-edit neighbors

| Becomes | Edit | Changes | Common tones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Gm7 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | adds F | 3 |
| GmMaj7 | 1 ♭3 5 7 | adds F♯ | 3 |
| Gm6 | 1 ♭3 5 6 | adds E | 3 |
| G | 1 3 5 | B♭ becomes B | 2 |
| Gdim | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | D becomes D♭ | 2 |
| Gsus2 | 1 2 5 | B♭ becomes A | 2 |
| Gsus4 | 1 4 5 | B♭ becomes C | 2 |
| Gmaj7 | 1 3 5 7 | B♭ becomes B, F♯ | 2 |
| G7 | 1 3 5 ♭7 | B♭ becomes B, F | 2 |
| Gm7♭5 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 | D becomes D♭, F | 2 |
| Gdim7 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7 | D becomes D♭, F♭ | 2 |
| G7sus4 | 1 4 5 ♭7 | B♭ becomes C, F | 2 |

## Set theory

- Absolute pitch classes: {7, 10, 2}
- Relative pitch classes: [0, 3, 7]
- Normal order: [7, 10, 2]
- Prime form: (037)
- Forte number: 3-11
- Interval vector: <001110>

## Frequencies (close root position)

| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| G3 | 55 | 196.00 Hz |
| B♭3 | 58 | 233.08 Hz |
| D4 | 62 | 293.66 Hz |

## Questions and answers

### What notes are in Gm?

Gm contains G, B♭ and D. The formula is 1, ♭3, 5.

### How do you play Gm on piano?

Play G, B♭ and D together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. B♭ is a black key; G and D are white.

### What are the inversions of Gm?

3 positions: root position G B♭ D, Gm/B♭, Gm/D.

### What keys contain Gm?

6: v in C minor, iv in D minor, iii in E♭ major, ii in F major, i in G minor, vi in B♭ major.

### What is the difference between Gm and Gm7?

Adds F. 3 of the notes are shared.

### What is an easy Gm for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, G3 B♭3, spans 3 semitones or about 41 mm.

### What are the frequencies of Gm?

From G3 at A440 in 12-TET: 196.00, 233.08, 293.66 Hz.

### What is the set class of Gm?

Prime form (037), Forte 3-11, interval vector &lt;001110&gt;.

### How do I transpose Gm to another key?

Keep the 1, ♭3, 5 formula on the new root. Cm is C, E♭, G; C♯m is C♯, E, G♯.

## Provenance

Every derived value above is computed by the piano.org theory kernel from the root, the quality and the stated parameters. Nothing is hand-entered per chord.

Machine record: https://piano.org/api/knowledge/v1/entities/chord:minor:g
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12