G# guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - m - i - m · Alternating Folk (4/4 · 4 notes · Level 1)
The 1st string repeats the G# of the 6th. This pattern leaves it out. All 6 arpeggios
Alternating picking with steady pulse.
The notes of G# are G#, B# and D#. G# is the root, B# the major third and D# the fifth. Said aloud, its notes are G sharp, B sharp and D sharp.
String by string, low to high, it plays G#, D#, G#, B#, D# and G#. The root, G#, shows up three times in the main shape. The lowest and highest notes are both G#, two octaves apart, on strings 6 and 1.
For G#, your index finger barres fret 4. Your hand covers three frets, from 4 to 6. There is one more position, starting at fret 11.
Change only string 3 in G# and you have G#m. Ab7 shares five positions with this shape. Ab is the same chord under another name.
G# shows up in seven keys. In G# major it is the I, in C# major the V and in D# major the IV. The rest appear in the key list.
G# 1B# 3D# 5
Root Bass (Fundamental String)6th String (Low E) • Fret 4 (G#)
String Control (Muted & Active)6 / 6 • Active and muted strings status indicator
Placement tip: Barre fret 4. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 6, 4th String (D) at fret 6, 3rd String (G) at fret 5.
Placement tip: Barre fret 11. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 13, 3rd String (G) at fret 13, 2nd String (B) at fret 13. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 4 to 6 |
| Barre | fret 4, from the 6th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 4 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | none |
At fret 4, only the barre sounds the 6th, 2nd, and 1st strings.
Listen: G# → Ab · Ab7 · Db
G# sits in the scale of 7 keys.
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the G# chord on guitar, all 6 strings are played from the 6th string (Low E) to the 1st string (High E). Arch your finger joints perpendicular to the fretboard so adjacent strings ring clearly.
The primary bass note of the G# chord is its root note: G#. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 6 at fret 4.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The G# chord is constructed using the 1 - 3 - 5 formula (Major Triad). Its constituent pitches are G#, B#, D#.
To prevent fret buzz on the G# barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
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