All chords › G# › Major-family

G# Major-family Chords

Major seventh and the colours stacked on top of it. These are the chords that sound settled and bright rather than restless.

9 chord types · 56 playable voicings · frets 1–16 · 17 use an open string

17 of the 56 shapes below let at least one string ring open, which usually makes them easier to hold and fuller to hear than the barred equivalents. The rest are movable grips. In the keys you are most likely to meet them, these chords sit as the I of G#, the IV of C#, and the V of Eb.

Jump to: G#maj7 · G#add9 · G#6 · G#maj9 · G#maj11 · G#maj13 · G#6/9 · G#maj7add11 · G#maj7add13

G#maj7

G#CEbG
11 shapes · open & play
X
O
X
4
1
2
X
O
3
2
1
3
4
X
X
3
4
3
2
1
4
1
4
2
3
1
1
X
X
6
1
2
3
4
X
X
8
4
1
1
1
X
8
4
3
1
1
1
X
O
9
3
2
1
4
X
O
X
10
2
1
3
X
X
O
11
1
3
2
X
11
1
3
2
4
1

G#maj7 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of G# major, IV of Eb major, VI of C minor, III of F minor.

Progressions that actually use it: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 (G# major), Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7 (G# major), vi7 – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 (G# major), i7 – VImaj7 – IIImaj7 – VII7 (C minor).

Fret and finger numbers for G#maj7
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
4 X 1 0 1 X4 – 1 – 2 –
4 3 X 0 4 42 1 – – 3 4
X X 6 5 4 3– – 4 3 2 1
4 6 5 5 4 41 4 2 3 1 1
X X 6 8 8 8– – 1 2 3 4
X 11 X 8 8 8– 4 – 1 1 1
X 11 10 8 8 8– 4 3 1 1 1
X 11 10 0 9 11– 3 2 – 1 4
X 11 10 0 X 11– 2 1 – – 3
X 11 X 0 13 11– 1 – – 3 2
X 11 13 12 13 11– 1 3 2 4 1

G#add9

G#CEbBb
6 shapes · open & play
X
4
1
1
1
1
X
X
4
1
1
2
X
X
4
3
2
1
4
X
X
8
4
1
1
2
X
8
4
1
1
3
2
X
X
10
2
1
3
4

G#add9 turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of G# major, V of C# major, IV of Eb major, VI of C minor, III of F minor, VII of Bb minor.

Progressions that actually use it: Iadd9 – V – vi7 – IV (G# major).

Fret and finger numbers for G#add9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
4 1 1 1 1 X4 1 1 1 1 –
4 1 1 X 1 X4 1 1 – 2 –
X X 6 5 4 6– – 3 2 1 4
X 11 8 8 X 8– 4 1 1 – 2
X 11 8 8 9 8– 4 1 1 3 2
X 11 10 X 11 11– 2 1 – 3 4

G#6

G#CEbF
5 shapes · open & play
X
X
4
1
2
3
4
3
1
1
1
1
X
X
3
2
4
1
3
X
X
6
1
3
2
4
X
X
10
2
1
1
3

G#6 turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of G# major, V of C# major, IV of Eb major, VI of C minor, III of F minor, VII of Bb minor.

Fret and finger numbers for G#6
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
4 X 1 X 1 14 – 1 – 2 3
4 3 1 1 1 14 3 1 1 1 1
4 6 3 5 X X2 4 1 3 – –
X X 6 8 6 8– – 1 3 2 4
X 11 10 10 X 11– 2 1 1 – 3

G#maj9

G#CEbGBb
4 shapes · open & play
4
1
1
1
1
3
X
8
4
1
1
1
1
X
O
10
2
1
3
4
X
10
2
1
4
3
3

G#maj9 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of G# major, IV of Eb major, VI of C minor, III of F minor.

Fret and finger numbers for G#maj9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
4 1 1 1 1 34 1 1 1 1 3
X 11 8 8 8 8– 4 1 1 1 1
X 11 10 0 11 11– 2 1 – 3 4
X 11 10 12 11 11– 2 1 4 3 3

G#maj11

G#CEbGBbC#
7 shapes · open & play
X
4
4
2
1
3
4
4
1
2
1
3
X
4
1
1
2
3
4
4
1
1
2
3
1
4
X
O
8
3
3
4
1
X
O
9
3
2
4
1
13
4
4
1
2
1
3

G#maj11 is the I and the III chord of G# major and F minor.

Fret and finger numbers for G#maj11
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
4 4 X 3 1 34 4 – 2 1 3
4 4 1 3 1 34 4 1 2 1 3
4 4 5 5 X 61 1 2 3 – 4
4 4 5 5 4 61 1 2 3 1 4
X 11 11 0 11 8– 3 3 – 4 1
X 11 10 0 11 9– 3 2 – 4 1
16 16 13 15 13 154 4 1 2 1 3

G#maj13

G#CEbGBbF
3 shapes · open & play
O
4
1
1
2
3
O
3
2
1
1
3
4
3
3
1
1
1
4
2

G#maj13 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of G# major, IV of Eb major, VI of C minor, III of F minor.

Fret and finger numbers for G#maj13
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
4 1 1 0 1 14 1 1 – 2 3
4 3 3 0 4 62 1 1 – 3 4
4 3 3 3 4 33 1 1 1 4 2

G#6/9

G#CEbFBb
6 shapes · open & play
4
1
1
1
1
1
4
1
1
3
1
1
3
2
1
1
1
3
4
X
3
2
1
1
1
3
3
2
1
1
1
3
4
X
10
2
1
1
3
4

G#6/9 turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of G# major, V of C# major, IV of Eb major, VI of C minor, III of F minor, VII of Bb minor.

Fret and finger numbers for G#6/9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
4 1 1 1 1 14 1 1 1 1 1
4 1 1 3 1 14 1 1 3 1 1
4 3 3 3 4 42 1 1 1 3 4
4 3 3 3 4 X2 1 1 1 3 –
4 3 3 3 4 62 1 1 1 3 4
X 11 10 10 11 11– 2 1 1 3 4

G#maj7add11

G#CEbGC#
10 shapes · open & play
O
X
4
3
1
2
O
X
3
4
1
2
4
1
1
2
3
1
1
X
4
1
1
3
4
2
X
X
6
1
2
3
4
X
8
3
4
1
1
1
X
8
4
3
1
1
2
X
O
9
4
3
1
1
X
O
11
1
2
3
4
X
11
1
1
3
4
2

G#maj7add11 is the I and the III chord of G# major and F minor.

Fret and finger numbers for G#maj7add11
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
4 3 1 0 2 X4 3 1 – 2 –
4 4 1 0 1 X3 4 1 – 2 –
4 4 5 5 4 41 1 2 3 1 1
4 4 5 5 4 X1 1 3 4 2 –
X X 6 6 8 8– – 1 2 3 4
X 11 11 8 8 8– 3 4 1 1 1
X 11 10 8 8 9– 4 3 1 1 2
X 11 10 0 9 9– 4 3 – 1 1
X 11 11 0 13 11– 1 2 – 3 4
X 11 11 12 13 11– 1 1 3 4 2

G#maj7add13

G#CEbGF
4 shapes · open & play
O
3
2
2
4
1
O
3
2
1
1
3
4
4
1
3
2
2
4
1
X
O
11
1
2
3
3

G#maj7add13 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of G# major, IV of Eb major, VI of C minor, III of F minor.

Fret and finger numbers for G#maj7add13
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
4 3 3 0 4 13 2 2 – 4 1
4 3 3 0 4 42 1 1 – 3 4
4 6 5 5 6 41 3 2 2 4 1
X 11 13 0 13 13– 1 2 – 3 3

Every chord above has an open & play link that opens it in the interactive dictionary, where you can hear it and step through the shapes. You can also work backwards from a shape you are already holding.