Banjo · key of G♯ minor

Chords in the key of G♯ minor

The seven chords in the key of G♯ minor are G♯m, A♯dim, B, C♯m, D♯m, E and F♯. B, E and F♯ are the major chords (III, VI and VII), G♯m, C♯m and D♯m are the minor chords (i, iv and v), and A♯dim is diminished (ii°). Its relative major is B major, which uses the same seven chords. The same key is sometimes written A♭ minor.

Key

Scale

The chords of G♯ minor
Numeral	Triad	Notes	Seventh chord	Notes	Number	Role
i	G♯mhome	G♯ B D♯	G♯m7home	G♯ B D♯ F♯	1m	tonic
ii°	A♯dimthe edge	A♯ C♯ E	A♯m7♭5the edge	A♯ C♯ E G♯	2°	supertonic
III	Bdaylight	B D♯ F♯	Bmaj7daylight	B D♯ F♯ A♯	3	mediant
iv	C♯msoft fall	C♯ E G♯	C♯m7soft fall	C♯ E G♯ B	4m	subdominant
v	D♯msoft fall	D♯ F♯ A♯	D♯m7soft fall	D♯ F♯ A♯ C♯	5m	dominant
VI	Ecinematic	E G♯ B	Emaj7cinematic	E G♯ B D♯	6	submediant
VII	F♯heroic	F♯ A♯ C♯	F♯7heroic	F♯ A♯ C♯ E	7	subtonic
V	D♯the pull	D♯ F♯♯ A♯	D♯7the pull	D♯ F♯♯ A♯ C♯	5	often used in place of D♯m

Sound

Strum or arpeggiate any chord, tap a note to hear it, drag the strip under a picture to play it further up the neck, or pick another inversion. Library opens the chord there, with every other way to play it.

G♯m

LibraryBanjo · Standard

i · tonic

A♯dim

LibraryBanjo · Standard

ii° · supertonic

B

LibraryBanjo · Standard

III · mediant

C♯m

LibraryBanjo · Standard

iv · subdominant

D♯m

LibraryBanjo · Standard

v · dominant

E

LibraryBanjo · Standard

VI · submediant

F♯

LibraryBanjo · Standard

VII · subtonic

Chord progressions in G♯ minor

Press a chord to hear it and see its shape, or Play to hear the progression on banjo. The colours say what each chord does in the key.

Sound Pattern Tempo85

↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.

Colours

home, minorthe pullthe edgeheroiccinematicsoft falldaylight

What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.

The minor key’s three chords

i | iv | v | i

Key Chord chart

i–iv–v–i, the minor key’s own three chords.

The epic minor progression

i | VI | III | VII

Key Chord chart

i–VI–III–VII, the sound of film scores and rock anthems.

The Andalusian cadence

i | VII | VI | V

Key Chord chart

Stepping down to a major fifth chord, heard in flamenco and in many rock songs.

To the relative major

i | iv | VII | III

Key Chord chart

i–iv–VII–III, a minor progression that lands on the relative major.

Climbing back home

i | VI | VII | i

Key Chord chart

i–VI–VII–i, common in rock and metal.

The minor ii–V–i

iiø7 | V7 | i7 | i7

Key Chord chart

The minor turnaround of jazz, in seventh chords.

The major fifth chord

In a minor key the fifth chord is often played major, D♯ or D♯7 in place of D♯m. Its third is the leading note of the harmonic minor scale, a half step below G♯, and it pulls back to G♯m more strongly.

The relative major: B major

B major has the same notes and the same seven chords as G♯ minor, starting from B. A song in one often moves to the other. The parallel major, A♭ major, starts on the same note with a different set of chords.

Play it with a capo

G♯ minor takes barre chords on banjo. A capo lets you play it with the open shapes of an easier key:

Capo 4, the shapes of E minor: Em, F♯dim, G, Am, Bm, C and D

The G♯ minor scale and key signature

The notes of G♯ minor are G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯. Its key signature has five sharps: G♯, A♯, C♯, D♯ and F♯. Each chord of the key is built from these notes, a third apart: a chord on every note of the scale. See the G♯ minor scale on the banjo neck, and the G♯ minor pentatonic.

Keys nearby

On the circle of fifths, E♭ minor and C♯ minor sit on either side of G♯ minor. Each shares six of its seven notes, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.

Every key

C D♭D E♭E F F♯G A♭A B♭B

C minor C♯ minor D minor E♭ minor E minor F minor F♯ minor G minor G♯ minor A minor B♭ minor B minor

All twenty-four on one page: chords in every key. To print these chords, open them as a chord chart, or make your own in the chord chart maker. This key on guitar, bass, ukulele and mandolin.