Key · minor
The key of G Minor
G Minor has 2 flats (B♭ E♭). Its scale is G A B♭ C D E♭ F. The seven chords built on those degrees are i Gm, ii° Adim, III B♭, iv Cm, v Dm, VI E♭ and VII F; the dominant is Dm and the subdominant Cm. Its relative major is B♭ Major and its parallel major is G Major.
The scale on the keyboard
Fingering for both hands, the step pattern and the other forms are on the G Natural Minor scale page.
Scale degrees
| Degree | Note | Name | Interval from the tonic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | Tonic | Unison |
| 2 | A | Supertonic | Major 2nd |
| 3 | B♭ | Mediant | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | C | Subdominant | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | D | Dominant | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | E♭ | Submediant | Minor 6th |
| 7 | F | Subtonic | Minor 7th |
Chords in G Minor
One chord on each degree of the scale. The dominant is Dm and the subdominant Cm.
| Numeral | Triad | Quality | Seventh |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Gm | Minor | Gm7 |
| ii° | Adim | Diminished | Am7♭5 |
| III | B♭ | Major | B♭maj7 |
| iv | Cm | Minor | Cm7 |
| v | Dm | Minor | Dm7 |
| VI | E♭ | Major | E♭maj7 |
| VII | F | Major | F7 |
Chord functions
| Function | Chords |
|---|---|
| Tonic | i · III · VI |
| Subdominant | ii° · iv |
| Dominant | v · VII · V (harmonic) |
Common progressions in G Minor
| Progression | Chords | Level |
|---|---|---|
| i – iv – v | Gm – Cm – Dm | Easy |
| i – iv – V | Gm – Cm – D | Easy |
| i – VI – III – VII | Gm – E♭ – B♭ – F | Easy |
| i – VII – VI – VII | Gm – F – E♭ – F | Easy |
| i – VII – VI – V | Gm – F – E♭ – D | Medium |
| i – VI – iv – V | Gm – E♭ – Cm – D | Medium |
| i – iv – VII – III | Gm – Cm – F – B♭ | Medium |
| i – III – VII – iv | Gm – B♭ – F – Cm | Medium |
| i – iv – i – V | Gm – Cm – Gm – D | Medium |
| i – IV – i – V | Gm – C – Gm – D | Hard |
| ii° – V – i | Adim – D – Gm | Hard |
| iiø7 – V7 – im7 | Am7♭5 – D7 – Gm7 | Hard |
| 12-Bar Minor Blues | Gm – Gm – Gm – Gm – Cm – Cm – Gm – Gm – E♭ – D – Gm – D | Hard |
The other keys
Part of the key reference. See also the chords and the scales.