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Chords in every key · 5 sharps

Chords in the key of G♯ minor

The seven chords in G♯ minor are G♯m, A♯°, B, C♯m, D♯m, E and F♯. G♯ minor has five sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯.

The seven chords

Play the chords of G♯ minor

Tap a chord to hear it. The is its place in the key; the colour is its job: home, moving away, or pulling back home.

On guitar, E has an ; the rest are .

  1. i

    G♯m4frR5R♭35RG♯D♯G♯BD♯G♯

    G♯ · B · D♯

    Tonic

  2. ii°

    A♯°××R♭5R♭3A♯EA♯C♯

    A♯ · C♯ · E

    Predominant

  3. III

    B×R5R35BF♯BD♯F♯

    B · D♯ · F♯

    Tonic

  4. iv

    C♯m4fr×R5R♭35C♯G♯C♯EG♯

    C♯ · E · G♯

    Predominant

  5. v

    D♯m6fr×R5R♭35D♯A♯D♯F♯A♯

    D♯ · F♯ · A♯

    Dominant

  6. VI

    E5R3EBEG♯BE

    E · G♯ · B

    Predominant

  7. VII

    F♯R5R35RF♯C♯F♯A♯C♯F♯

    F♯ · A♯ · C♯

    Dominant

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Key signature and scale

The G♯ minor scale

G♯ minor has five sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯.

  1. G♯1
  2. A♯2
  3. B♭3
  4. C♯4
  5. D♯5
  6. E♭6
  7. F♯♭7
EADGBE0135791215G♯G♯G♯G♯G♯G♯G♯EF♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯A♯BD♯EF♯A♯BC♯D♯EA♯BC♯D♯EF♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯A♯BC♯EF♯A♯BC♯D♯EF♯
  • G♯, the tonic
  • Other scale notes
The G♯ minor scale on guitar, in five positions

Progressions

Common chord progressions in G♯ minor

The same patterns of turn up in thousands of songs. Here they are in this key, ready to play.

  • Minor pop

    i – VI – III – VII

    1. G♯m
    2. E
    3. B
    4. F♯

    The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.

    Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito

    Minor pop in every key

  • Andalusian cadence

    i – VII – VI – V

    1. G♯m
    2. F♯
    3. E
    4. D♯

    A stepwise walk down to a major V borrowed from harmonic minor. Flamenco's signature move.

    Heard in Hit the Road Jack, Runaway, Stray Cat Strut

    Andalusian cadence in every key

  • Minor ii–V–i

    iiø7 – V7 – i7

    1. A♯m7♭5
    2. D♯7
    3. G♯m7

    Half-diminished ii, dominant V7 and back to the minor tonic.

    Heard in Blue Bossa, Autumn Leaves

    Minor ii–V–i in every key

Related keys

Keys close to G♯ minor

Keys that share most of their notes sound natural side by side, which is why songs so often move between them.

Find G♯ minor on the circle of fifths

Capo

Play G♯ minor with a capo

G♯ minor's main chords are G♯m, C♯m, D♯m and E. With the on 4, play them as Em, Am, Bm and C: three of the four are .

  1. Capo 4Em Am Bm CE minor shapes · 3 of 4 openOpen in the capo tool
How a capo changes the key

Two spellings

G♯ minor and A♭ minor

G♯ minor has five sharps, A♭ minor seven flats. Most players read G♯ minor, because it needs fewer .

G♯ minor

5 sharps

G♯m, A♯°, B, C♯m, D♯m, E and F♯

A♭ minor

7 flats

A♭m, B♭°, C♭, D♭m, E♭m, F♭ and G♭

Both sound exactly the same and use the same . The spelling only matters when you read or write the music: each letter appears once in a key, so the notes keep the names the key gives them. See the chords in A♭ minor.

Questions

G♯ minor, in short

What chords are in the key of G♯ minor?
The seven chords in G♯ minor are G♯m, A♯°, B, C♯m, D♯m, E and F♯. G♯ minor has five sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯.
What is the relative major of G♯ minor?
B major. It uses the same seven notes and the same as G♯ minor, so the two keys share all their chords.
How many sharps are in G♯ minor?
G♯ minor has five sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯.
Which keys are next to G♯ minor on the circle of fifths?
C♯ minor (one step anticlockwise) and D♯ minor (one step clockwise). Their chords overlap most with G♯ minor's, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.
Is G♯ minor the same as A♭ minor?
They sound the same: every note and chord is played on the same . Only the spelling differs. G♯ minor has five sharps, A♭ minor seven flats. Most players read G♯ minor, because it needs fewer .
Chords in every key