G♯ minor (G♯m)

Also called A♭ minor (A♭m).

A minor chord: root, minor third and fifth. Darker than a major chord.

There’s no open shape: it’s played as a barre chord, starting at the 4th fret. It’s the home chord of the key of G♯ minor; in major keys, you’ll find it in B major, F♯ major and E major.

Notes:: G♯, B, D♯.
Formula:: 1, ♭3, 5.
Difficulty:: Intermediate.
Strings played:: 6.

Chord diagram

e|--4--|
B|--4--|
G|--4--|
D|--6--|
A|--6--|
E|--4--|

Other positions

e|--11--|
B|--12--|
G|--13--|
D|--13--|
A|--11--|
E|--x---|

Capo tip: put the capo at the 4th fret and play the E minor shape: you hear G♯ minor, with no barre.The capo

Often played with

The chords in its key, the ones you hear most often around G♯ minor.

e|--4--|
B|--5--|
G|--6--|
D|--6--|
A|--4--|
E|--x--|

C♯ minoriv

e|--6--|
B|--7--|
G|--8--|
D|--8--|
A|--6--|
E|--x--|

E♭ minorv

e|--0--|
B|--0--|
G|--1--|
D|--2--|
A|--2--|
E|--0--|

E major♭VI

e|--2--|
B|--2--|
G|--3--|
D|--4--|
A|--4--|
E|--2--|

F♯ major♭VII