How to play the G Major chord on guitar
G is the chord that teaches you to spread your hand across all six strings. Two common fingerings exist; the one using the ring and pinky on the top strings is worth learning early because it makes the change to C and D almost effortless later.
G Major is a major triad — root, major third and fifth: G, B, D. The major third is what makes it sound bright rather than sad.
Finger it one string at a time
- low E string: fret 3 with your middle finger.
- A string: fret 2 with your index finger.
- D string: play it open.
- G string: play it open.
- B string: play it open.
- high E string: fret 3 with your ring finger.
Stretch your fingers wide. All strings should ring out.
What makes this shape awkward
- 3 strings ring open, which is what gives this shape its sustain — but it also means any finger leaning against a neighbouring string will deaden it. Arch your knuckles.
Other voicings
G Major can also be played with a different note in the bass. Each voicing keeps the same notes and changes which one you hear lowest.
- Root Position — G in the bass.
- 1st Inversion — B in the bass.
- 2nd Inversion — D in the bass.
Where you'll use it
G appears in 6 of the play-along progressions in RiffRoute. These are the actual sequences it sits in:
- First Progression (Lesson 1) (Progressive Lesson, 78 BPM) —
C → Am → F → G - Basement Static (90s Grunge, 116 BPM) —
F → A → G → C - Open Sky Anthem (Britpop, 88 BPM) —
G → D → Em → C - Steady Heart (Classic Rock, 76 BPM) —
C → G → Am → F → C → G → F → C - Your Reflection (Modern Pop, 95 BPM) —
Em → C → G → D - Sunset Highway (Indie Pop, 108 BPM) —
D → Dsus2 → G → A
Keys it belongs to
G is diatonic to these keys, which is why it turns up in songs written in them — the bracket is the degree it plays there:
Chords it's usually played with
In the progressions that use G, these turn up alongside it most often — learning them together is more useful than learning G alone.
Hear it and check yourself
Reading a diagram only gets you so far — the part that decides whether G sounds right is whether every string rings cleanly. RiffRoute plays the chord back, listens while you strum it, and tells you which string is buzzing.