How to Play G Minor 7 Chord on Guitar
In today's lesson, we'll go over 7 distinct ways to play the Gm7 guitar chord, also known as the G minor seventh chord.
This guitar chord is built from the G minor scale and is similar to the Gm chord but has a little extra spice that adds a little tension and makes it sound a bit sweet and romantic.
Throughout this lesson, we'll discover common positions, voicings, and recommend finger placements, each with its chord diagram. We'll also discuss chord theory, inversions, how the chord can be used in a chord progression, and tips and tricks to make notes ring out.
Play Gm7 With Barre Chords
Due to the notes that make the Gm7 chord, there is no open position. Still, there is a very easy voicing for playing the barre chord, which only takes one finger!
Gm7 Guitar Chord (Easy Version)
The first Gm7 chord we'll go over is a simple one-finger barre chord. To play, place your:
Index finger on the fourth string, third fret
Then barre your index finger across strings 1-4, pressing down on the strings with your first finger
That's it! Your first finger just presses down on one fret (but across a few strings), and you simply strum from the fourth string down.
This is a great barre chord to learn first so you can move up to playing barre chords that use all the strings and not have to rely on a capo!
Technically, this would be considered an inversion where the chord is not in the root position. Root notes refer to the root of the chord (in this case, the G note), and root position means the G note is the lowest-sounding note. If it was a Bb major chord, the Bb note would be the root note.
When an inversion is written, it is often referred to as a slash chord, such as Fm7/Eb, which means play the Fm7 but have the Eb note as the bass note.
Gm7 Guitar Chord with Em7 Chord Shape
Building off the Gm7 chord we just learned, this next voicing will use all six strings. To play, place your:
First finger on the sixth (low e) string, third fret
Ring finger on the fifth string, third fret
As you squeeze with your ring finger, press your index finger to the side so all the strings ring out on the third fret, specifically the high e string.
Pressing down multiple frets can be a bit tricky, especially if it's lower on the fretboard (such as on the third fret). A simple hack is to use your middle finger to help your index finger press down and make sure your thumb is in the middle of your hand.
When you strum all six strings and the root note is in the bass (the G note), it will give you a nice full sound.
Gm7 Guitar Chord with Am7 Chord Shape
This next voicing is a very common way to play the Gm7 chord on guitar. To play, place your:
First finger on the fifth string, 10th fret
Ring finger on the 4th string, 12th fret
Second finger on the B (second) string, 11th fret
You can also think of this position as playing the regular G minor chord but then lifting off your pinky finger. If you don't know the G minor chord be sure to check out the other guitar chords I have in my Chord Library.
The difference with this next voicing is just one note from the voicing above. All you do is add in your pinky on the high E string (first string), 13th fret.
Gm7 Guitar Chord with Dm7 Chord Shape
This Gm7 guitar chord doesn't need a barre, and there's no stretching, which makes it much easier. To play:
Start with placing your second finger on the B string, 6th fret
Then, your ring finger on the high e string, 6th fret
Your index finger on the D string, 5th fret
Lastly, your fourth finger on the G string, 7th fret
As you can see in the guitar chord diagram, avoid strumming the low E string and the A string.
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Gm7 Guitar chord for Jazz, The Aspiring Jazz Guitarist
These next two voicings are pretty tricky because of how much your fingers are going to have to stretch.
Gm7 Jazz Voicing #1:
To play first, you are just going to play a Bb triad. Place your:
- Index finger on the second string, 6th fret
- Middle finger on the third string, 7th fret
- Ring finger on the fourth string, 8th fret
- Pinky on the fifth string, 10th fret
Strum from the fifth string down and avoid strumming the low E string and high E string.
Gm7 Jazz Voicing #2
This is just a simple variation where you will barre your index finger on strings 1 and 2 on the 6th fret.
Gm7 Guitar Chord Tips
Tip #1
The #1 mistake players make in learning how to play new chords is that they don't memorize them. If you have to constantly look at where to place your fingers, your mind/body won't develop proper coordination. Focus on learning just a few chords at a given time.
Tip #2
To learn the Gm7 chord, play the chord very slowly so that all your fingers attack the strings simultaneously. Your chord changes will always be slow if you place your fingers on the fretboard one at a time.
Tip #3
Even though I have written the GM7 as the Em7 or Am7 "shape," I would highly recommend not thinking or referring to them like this. Yes, I know it's common for early intermediate guitar players (which is why I used it), but when speaking a language, you don't translate as you speak; you just say the word.
Thinking of "Am7 shape" or "Em7 shape" causes mental clutter.
Few Common Chord Progressions Using The Gm7 Guitar Chord
Bb - Eb - Gm7- F
Gm7 - F - Cm7 - Bb
Bb - D7 - Gm7
What Notes Make Up The G Minor Seventh Chord?
The Gm7 chord, or G minor seventh, is a four-note chord that is derived from the G minor scale.
G A Bb C D Eb F
When you number the notes on a scale, they are called SCALE DEGREES. So to make a Gm7 chord, we need the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th "degrees."
1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
G A Bb C D Eb F
All minor 7th chords use the 1, b3, 5, & b7 notes of their corresponding minor scale.
When these four notes are being played harmonically (played at the same time), you are playing a Gm7 chord.
Now you may be wondering why did you add a "b" (flat) to the 3, 6, and 7? This is beyond the scope of this lesson, but for simplicity's sake, all minor scales have the 3rd, 6th, and 7th notes lowered down a half step. We'll have other lessons where we'll go in-depth on this. For now, let's just stick to learning the Gm7 guitar chord.
Now, notice from each chord diagram ONLY the following notes G, Bb, D, & F are being used? If you have another note in the chord, such as a C or D note, it is no longer a Gm7 chord!
That being said, you can have multiple G, Bb, D, or F notes, as shown in each chord diagram. Try playing the chords, but only strum a few of the notes. If you listen closely, the chord will sound "thin" when there is only one of each note. However, adding more of the same notes makes the chord have more depth. You may even think of it as a darker or lighter shade of the same color.
Now you know many ways to play the Gm7 guitar chord and understand some Gm7 chord theory!