G minor chord on piano
Find the G minor notes, inspect their piano positions, and compare inversions with an audible reference.
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Compare another chord
C Minor
C4 · E♭4 · G4
Notes and intervals
| Degree | Notes | Semitones |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | G4 | 0 |
| ♭3 | B♭4 | 3 |
| 5 | D5 | 7 |
The notes and their roles
G minor contains G, B♭ and D. From the root, the semitone offsets are 0, 3, 7. The degree formula 1, ♭3, 5 describes each member relative to the root, not its order in a particular voicing.
| Note | Role | Semitones above root |
|---|---|---|
| G | Root | 0 |
| B♭ | Minor third | 3 |
| D | Perfect fifth | 7 |
Read this shape accurately
B-flat makes G minor different from G major. Keep its B letter when naming the third, even if a keyboard interface offers A-sharp as an enharmonic alternative.
Change only the third
Hold G and D steady. Raise B♭ by one semitone to B and the quality changes to major. The root and perfect fifth do not change. This isolates the interval that distinguishes the two triads.
Choose a bass note
The root-position octave example is G4 · B♭4 · D5. Inversions put a different member in the bass while retaining G as the root. The table gives pitch-class order; move the leading notes up an octave as needed to keep each example ascending.
| Position | Notes from the bass | Bass |
|---|---|---|
| Root position | G · B♭ · D | G |
| First inversion | B♭ · D · G | B♭ |
| Second inversion | D · G · B♭ | D |
A short listening check
Play G minor together, then as separate notes. Name the minor third before looking at the display. Repeat in first inversion and check that B♭ is the bass while G remains the root.
- Choose the displayed root and quality in the chord explorer.
- Compare root position with one inversion at the same tempo.
- Save both examples in a named practice collection, or export a reference with note names.
Sources and methods
- Open Music Theory: Triads
- Enharmonic notes
- ChordLilt product contract
- Inverted triads