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 · 120 playable voicings · frets 1–16 · 95 use an open string

95 of the 120 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 D.

Jump to: Gmaj7 · Gadd9 · G6 · Gmaj9 · Gmaj11 · Gmaj13 · G6/9 · Gmaj7add11 · Gmaj7add13

Gmaj7

GBDF#
17 shapes · open & play
O
O
O
3
1
2
X
O
O
O
2
1
O
O
3
1
4
2
O
O
3
1
4
2
O
O
O
2
2
4
1
O
O
2
2
4
3
1
O
O
3
1
4
3
2
3
1
4
2
3
1
1
X
X
5
1
2
3
4
X
O
O
7
4
1
1
X
O
7
4
1
1
1
X
7
4
3
1
1
1
X
O
O
X
10
1
2
X
O
O
10
1
3
2
X
O
10
1
4
3
2
X
O
10
1
3
4
2
X
10
1
3
2
4
1

Gmaj7 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of G major, IV of D major, VI of B minor, III of E 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 (B minor).

Fret and finger numbers for Gmaj7
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
3 2 0 0 0 23 1 – – – 2
3 X 0 0 0 22 – – – – 1
3 2 0 0 3 23 1 – – 4 2
3 2 0 4 0 23 1 – 4 – 2
3 5 0 0 0 22 4 – – – 1
3 5 4 0 0 22 4 3 – – 1
3 5 4 0 0 31 4 3 – – 2
3 5 4 4 3 31 4 2 3 1 1
X X 5 7 7 7– – 1 2 3 4
X 10 0 0 7 7– 4 – – 1 1
X 10 0 7 7 7– 4 – 1 1 1
X 10 9 7 7 7– 4 3 1 1 1
X 10 0 11 0 X– 1 – 2 – –
X 10 0 11 0 10– 1 – 3 – 2
X 10 12 11 0 10– 1 4 3 – 2
X 10 0 11 12 10– 1 – 3 4 2
X 10 12 11 12 10– 1 3 2 4 1

Gadd9

GBDA
19 shapes · open & play
O
O
3
1
2
4
O
O
O
X
2
1
O
O
O
2
1
3
O
O
O
O
X
3
1
O
O
O
O
3
1
2
O
O
O
O
3
1
3
O
O
O
3
1
3
2
O
O
O
3
1
2
3
O
O
3
1
4
2
3
O
O
3
1
3
2
4
O
O
O
3
1
3
4
O
O
3
1
3
2
4
X
X
3
3
2
1
4
X
O
X
7
4
1
1
X
X
7
4
1
1
2
X
7
4
1
1
3
2
X
O
9
2
1
3
4
O
O
O
X
12
4
1
O
O
O
X
12
4
1

Gadd9 turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of G major, V of C major, IV of D major, VI of B minor, III of E minor, VII of A minor.

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

Fret and finger numbers for Gadd9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
3 2 0 2 0 33 1 – 2 – 4
3 0 0 2 0 X2 – – 1 – –
3 0 0 2 0 32 – – 1 – 3
3 0 0 0 0 X1 – – – – –
3 0 0 0 0 31 – – – – 2
3 0 0 0 0 51 – – – – 3
3 0 0 4 0 31 – – 3 – 2
3 0 0 4 0 51 – – 2 – 3
3 0 0 4 3 31 – – 4 2 3
3 0 0 4 3 51 – – 3 2 4
3 5 0 0 0 51 3 – – – 4
3 5 0 4 0 51 3 – 2 – 4
X X 5 4 3 5– – 3 2 1 4
X 10 7 7 0 X– 4 1 1 – –
X 10 7 7 X 7– 4 1 1 – 2
X 10 7 7 8 7– 4 1 1 3 2
X 10 9 0 10 10– 2 1 – 3 4
15 0 0 0 12 X4 – – – 1 –
15 0 0 12 0 X4 – – 1 – –

G6

GBDE
21 shapes · open & play
O
O
O
O
2
1
O
O
O
2
1
3
O
O
2
1
1
3
O
2
1
1
3
4
O
O
O
2
1
3
O
O
2
1
4
3
X
X
2
2
4
1
3
X
O
O
O
O
3
1
O
O
O
O
3
1
3
O
O
O
3
1
3
2
O
O
3
1
4
3
2
O
O
3
1
3
2
4
O
O
O
3
1
3
4
O
O
3
1
3
4
2
O
3
1
3
4
2
1
X
X
O
3
3
2
1
X
X
5
1
3
2
4
X
O
O
O
7
4
1
X
O
O
O
O
10
1
X
O
O
O
12
4
1
12
4
3
1
1
1
1

G6 turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of G major, V of C major, IV of D major, VI of B minor, III of E minor, VII of A minor.

Fret and finger numbers for G6
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
3 2 0 0 0 02 1 – – – –
3 2 0 0 3 02 1 – – 3 –
3 2 2 0 3 02 1 1 – 3 –
3 2 2 0 3 32 1 1 – 3 4
3 2 0 4 0 02 1 – 3 – –
3 2 0 4 3 02 1 – 4 3 –
3 5 2 4 X X2 4 1 3 – –
3 X 0 0 0 01 – – – – –
3 5 0 0 0 01 3 – – – –
3 5 0 4 0 01 3 – 2 – –
3 5 0 4 3 01 4 – 3 2 –
3 5 0 4 5 01 3 – 2 4 –
3 5 5 0 0 01 3 4 – – –
3 5 5 4 0 01 3 4 2 – –
3 5 5 4 3 01 3 4 2 1 –
X X 5 4 3 0– – 3 2 1 –
X X 5 7 5 7– – 1 3 2 4
X 10 0 7 0 0– 4 – 1 – –
X 10 0 0 0 0– 1 – – – –
15 X 0 0 0 124 – – – – 1
15 14 12 12 12 124 3 1 1 1 1

Gmaj9

GBDF#A
4 shapes · open & play
O
O
O
O
2
1
O
3
1
3
3
2
2
X
7
4
1
1
1
1
X
9
2
1
4
3
3

Gmaj9 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of G major, IV of D major, VI of B minor, III of E minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Gmaj9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
3 0 0 0 0 22 – – – – 1
3 0 4 4 3 31 – 3 3 2 2
X 10 7 7 7 7– 4 1 1 1 1
X 10 9 11 10 10– 2 1 4 3 3

Gmaj11

GBDF#AC
11 shapes · open & play
O
O
3
4
1
2
O
3
4
4
1
2
O
O
O
2
2
4
1
O
O
3
4
1
2
O
O
3
1
2
4
1
O
O
3
1
2
3
4
O
O
3
1
1
2
4
O
3
1
1
2
3
4
O
3
1
1
2
3
4
3
1
1
2
3
1
4
O
O
13
3
4
1
2

Gmaj11 is the I and the III chord of G major and E minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Gmaj11
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
3 0 0 4 1 23 – – 4 1 2
3 0 4 4 1 23 – 4 4 1 2
3 0 0 5 0 22 – – 4 – 1
3 3 0 2 0 23 4 – 1 – 2
3 0 4 5 0 31 – 2 4 – 1
3 0 4 5 0 51 – 2 3 – 4
3 3 4 0 0 51 1 2 – – 4
3 3 4 4 0 51 1 2 3 – 4
3 3 4 5 0 51 1 2 3 – 4
3 3 4 4 3 51 1 2 3 1 4
15 0 0 16 13 143 – – 4 1 2

Gmaj13

GBDF#AE
4 shapes · open & play
O
2
1
4
3
1
3
1
1
1
4
2
O
O
3
1
3
4
2
3
1
3
2
2
4
4

Gmaj13 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of G major, IV of D major, VI of B minor, III of E minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Gmaj13
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
3 0 2 4 3 22 – 1 4 3 1
3 2 2 2 3 23 1 1 1 4 2
3 0 4 4 3 01 – 3 4 2 –
3 5 4 4 5 51 3 2 2 4 4

G6/9

GBDEA
17 shapes · open & play
O
O
O
O
2
1
O
O
O
3
1
2
O
O
3
1
2
4
O
O
2
1
4
3
O
2
1
1
1
3
2
1
1
1
3
4
O
O
O
O
O
3
1
O
O
O
O
3
1
2
O
O
O
3
1
3
2
O
O
O
3
1
2
3
O
O
3
1
3
4
2
O
O
3
1
2
3
4
O
O
3
1
4
3
2
X
O
O
7
4
1
1
X
9
2
1
1
3
4
O
O
O
O
12
4
1
O
O
O
O
12
4
1

G6/9 turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of G major, V of C major, IV of D major, VI of B minor, III of E minor, VII of A minor.

Fret and finger numbers for G6/9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
3 0 0 2 0 02 – – 1 – –
3 2 0 2 0 03 1 – 2 – –
3 2 0 2 3 03 1 – 2 4 –
3 0 2 4 3 02 – 1 4 3 –
3 2 2 2 3 02 1 1 1 3 –
3 2 2 2 3 32 1 1 1 3 4
3 0 0 0 0 01 – – – – –
3 0 0 4 0 01 – – 2 – –
3 0 0 4 3 01 – – 3 2 –
3 0 0 4 5 01 – – 2 3 –
3 0 0 4 5 31 – – 3 4 2
3 0 0 4 5 51 – – 2 3 4
3 0 5 4 3 01 – 4 3 2 –
X 10 7 7 0 0– 4 1 1 – –
X 10 9 9 10 10– 2 1 1 3 4
15 0 0 0 0 124 – – – – 1
15 0 0 0 12 04 – – – 1 –

Gmaj7add11

GBDF#C
16 shapes · open & play
O
O
2
3
4
1
O
O
2
3
4
1
O
2
2
3
4
1
O
O
O
2
3
1
O
O
2
2
3
4
1
O
O
3
1
1
3
1
O
3
1
1
3
4
2
3
1
1
2
3
1
1
X
3
1
1
3
4
2
X
X
5
1
2
3
4
X
7
3
4
1
1
1
X
7
4
3
1
1
2
X
O
O
8
3
4
1
X
O
10
1
2
3
4
X
10
1
1
3
4
2
O
O
14
2
3
4
1

Gmaj7add11 is the I and the III chord of G major and E minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Gmaj7add11
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
3 3 0 4 0 22 3 – 4 – 1
3 3 4 0 0 22 3 4 – – 1
3 3 4 4 0 22 2 3 4 – 1
3 3 0 0 0 22 3 – – – 1
3 3 0 5 0 22 3 – 4 – 1
3 3 4 0 0 31 1 3 – – 1
3 3 4 5 0 31 1 3 4 – 2
3 3 4 4 3 31 1 2 3 1 1
3 3 4 4 3 X1 1 3 4 2 –
X X 5 5 7 7– – 1 2 3 4
X 10 10 7 7 7– 3 4 1 1 1
X 10 9 7 7 8– 4 3 1 1 2
X 10 0 11 0 8– 3 – 4 – 1
X 10 10 11 0 10– 1 2 3 – 4
X 10 10 11 12 10– 1 1 3 4 2
15 15 0 16 0 142 3 – 4 – 1

Gmaj7add13

GBDF#E
11 shapes · open & play
O
O
2
1
4
3
O
3
1
1
4
2
O
O
3
1
4
2
3
O
O
O
3
1
3
2
O
3
1
4
2
3
1
3
1
3
2
2
4
1
X
O
7
4
3
1
1
X
O
7
4
3
1
1
X
O
O
O
10
1
2
X
O
O
10
1
2
3
X
10
1
3
2
4
4

Gmaj7add13 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of G major, IV of D major, VI of B minor, III of E minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Gmaj7add13
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
3 2 4 0 3 02 1 4 – 3 –
3 2 2 0 3 23 1 1 – 4 2
3 5 4 4 0 01 4 2 3 – –
3 5 4 0 0 01 3 2 – – –
3 5 4 4 3 01 4 2 3 1 –
3 5 4 4 5 31 3 2 2 4 1
X 10 0 9 7 7– 4 – 3 1 1
X 10 9 7 7 0– 4 3 1 1 –
X 10 0 11 0 0– 1 – 2 – –
X 10 0 11 0 12– 1 – 2 – 3
X 10 12 11 12 12– 1 3 2 4 4

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.