G minor Chord Progressions

The key of g minor is one of my favorite keys in all music and one in which I’ve written many songs. It’s a key that evokes a ton of emotion yet has some warmth. This article will break down the chords in the key of g minor, the notes in g minor, and some of the most common piano chord progressions in g minor.

Before we look at the chords in g minor and some common chord progressions, let’s grab a quick understanding of the notes in this key first.

Notes Of G Minor Natural Scale

The key of g minor is one of the more accessible keys to learn on piano as there are only two flats, Bflat and E-flat. 

G minor notes are as followed: G,A,Bflat,C,D,Eflat,F,G

As you can see, the third note is flat as well as the sixth note.

When analyzing how the chords a viewed in g minor, the simplest way is as follows: minor, diminished, major, minor, minor, major, major, minor.

Note: when you see flat5 or sharp5, that simply means going down half a step or up half a step. For flats, you go down half a step, and for sharps, you go up half a step.

If you ever see dominant 7, that means you flat the 7 or go down a half a step on the 7 of the chord. 

Below you will find the following notes that make up the chords in g minor. 

i-g minor, g minor 7: G Bb d, G Bb D F

iidim- adim, amin 7b5: A C Eb, A C Eb G

III- Bbflat Major, Bb Major 7: Bb D F, Bb D F A

iV- c minor, cminor7: C Eb G, C Eb G Bb

v-d minor, dminor7: D F A, D F A C

VI- Eflat Major, EFlat Major 7: Eb G Bb Eb G Bb D

VII- FMajor, F Major7: F A C, F A C Eb

G Minor Chord Progressions

Let’s take a look at some beautiful g minor chord progressions that you can try out on your guitars/pianos at home.

• i-III-VII (g minor, Bb Major, F Major)
• i-VII-VI-III (g minor, F Major, Eb Major)
• i-VI-III-VII (g minor, Eb Major, F Major)
• i-V7-III-VII (g minor, d minor 7, F Major)
• iV-VI-i-VII (c minor, Eb Major, g minor, F Major)

Notice that the last chord starts on c minor, which is the 4 chord. This is a really fun progression that is dark, but driving.

Note: I love to recommend that students mix in the seventh chords in these chord progressions. You can even do this by play the original chord, say g minor, then play g minor 7 before going to the next chord in the progression. This can add tension and give you room for your melody.

While these are basic g minor chord progressions, they are all applicable and will allow you to instantly write your own songs.

Wrapping Up

Learning the chords in g minor is essential for aspiring singer-songwriters and musicians. Drop a note should you have any questions, and be sure to check out all of piano chord progressions we have to offer.