G Minor Piano Chord – How to Play with Each Hand
A lot of music we listen to uses chords as a foundation. The G minor chord is frequently used, and appears in many different genres. Like all minor chords, the G minor piano chord consists of three notes.
In this article, we will learn which notes make up the G minor chord, which fingers to use to play it in each hand, and some of the music theory behind how some notes are turned into flat notes.
Which Notes Are in the G Minor Chord?
Before we can learn how to play the G minor chord, we must learn which notes are in the chord. The G minor chord consists of a G, B-flat, and D. The outer notes of the chord are white keys, and the middle note is a black key.
This juxtaposition of white and black keys makes the chord fairly easy to play. The images below show the G minor chord noted in the treble clef (for the right hand) and the bass clef (for the left hand).
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Piano Finger Numbers
Now that we know which notes comprise the G minor chord, we must learn which fingers to use to play notes, and then we can learn how to play the chord. Now, when it comes to piano sheet music, there are often numbers above or below the notes. These are finger numbers, and they tell you which fingers to use to play which notes.
The finger numbers are the same for each hand. So for example, the thumb will always correspond to the number one, the pointer finger is always number two, the middle finger is number three, the ring finger is number four, and the pinky is number five.
To better illustrate this, the images below show the finger numbers labeled for each hand. Sage Music has more information on finger numbers, and even shows examples of what they look like when they appear in sheet music for the piano.
These fingers will be used to play the G minor chord in the left hand:
- G: finger five
- B-flat: finger three
- D: finger one
These fingers will be used to play the G minor chord in the right hand:
- G: finger one
- B-flat: finger three
- D: finger five
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Playing the G Minor Chord in the Left Hand
Now that we’ve learned which notes are in the chord, and which fingers to use to play them, now is the time to learn how to play the G minor chord!
To play the chord in the left hand, place finger five (the pinky) on G, finger three (the middle finger) on B-flat, and finger one (the thumb) on D. Always remember to keep your fingers curved and your wrist parallel to the ground.
The image below shows how to play the G minor chord in the left hand.
Playing chords in the left hand is an excellent way to accompany melodies played in the right hand. As you become more comfortable playing the G minor chord, search for a piece of music that uses this chord! Once you’ve found a piece of music, try playing its chord in the left hand, and its melody in the right hand.
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Playing the G Minor Chord in the Right Hand
Now that we know how to play the G minor chord in the left hand, it is time to learn how to play it in the right hand. So to begin, let’s start by placing finger one (your thumb) on G, finger three (your middle finger) on B-flat, and finger five (your pinky) on D.
Keep your fingers curved and your wrist parallel to the ground, just like when we were playing the G minor chord in the left hand earlier. Also, if you need a visual cue on how to play the G minor chord in the right hand, I’ve provided another image for you below.
Chords in the right hand are a great way to accompany songs that are being sung. You can play the entire chord in the right hand, and just the root note (the note the chord is named after) in the left hand.
Having all of the notes in the right hand and adding the root note in the left hand gives the chord a full, deep sound quality. Give it a try! Once you are comfortable with this, try finding more music that uses the G minor chord, and practice accompanying the song with this style of playing the chords.
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Accidentals: What Is a Flat?
As you now know, there is a B-flat in the G minor chord. You may be wondering what a flat is and how it works. Briefly taking a step back, a flat is an accidental. An accidental changes a note by raising or lowering the pitch. A flat changes a note by lowering it a half step.
Let’s use B as our example note, since there is a B-flat in the G minor chord. Adding a flat to the note B lowers it a half step. A half step is the distance between two notes on the piano that are right next to one another—with no other keys in between them.
So to use a quick example, to make B into B-flat, you simply go one key to the left of B—which is a black key.
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Conclusion
You now know all about the G minor piano chord! You have learned which notes comprise the chord, which fingers to use when playing the chord, and have even learned some of the music theory behind flat notes, such as B-flat.
Now you can use this information to become an even better musician. Enjoy incorporating this chord into your piano playing!
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