Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger flat across all 6 strings at the 3rd fret — the barre.
- Middle finger on the 5th fret of the A string (5th).
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (low E) | fret 3 | index | G2 | root |
| 5th (A) | fret 5 | middle | D3 | fifth |
| 4th (D) | fret 3 | index | F3 | flat seventh |
| 3rd (G) | fret 3 | index | B♭3 | minor third |
| 2nd (B) | fret 3 | index | D4 | fifth |
| 1st (high E) | fret 3 | index | G4 | root |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play Gm7
The same 4 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 31303xAn open-position shape · four fingers
- xx5766A shape at the 5th fret · four fingers
- x-10-8-10-8-10A barre at the 8th fret and three more fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
Or use a capo: clamp it at the 3rd fret and play the Em7 shape. Every string is raised 3 semitones, so that open shape now sounds Gm7.
Holding it cleanly
The barre is the hard part. Lay the index finger just behind the 3rd fret, roll it slightly onto its bony outer edge, and keep the thumb behind the neck opposite it. Pluck the barred strings one at a time: a buzz or a dead string means the finger is not flat there yet.
The notes in Gm7
A minor seventh chord is built from the root (1), ♭3, 5 and ♭7 of its root’s major scale. From G that gives G – B♭ – D – F. A minor chord with a flattened seventh: mellow rather than sad, and the usual ii chord of a major key.
The same root, other chords: G major, Gm, G7, Gmaj7, Gsus2, Gsus4, Gdim, Gaug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Gm7 chord?
G minor seventh is four notes: G – B♭ – D – F — the root, ♭3, 5 and ♭7 of the G major scale. On guitar the shape 353333 sounds G2, D3, F3, B♭3, D4 and G4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Gm7 on guitar?
The usual shape is 353333 — a barre chord at the 3rd fret, with a barre at the 3rd fret and one more finger. Or put a capo on the 3rd fret and play the Em7 shape, which then sounds Gm7.
What is the difference between Gm7 and Gm?
Gm7 is Gm with one more note, a flattened seventh (F). It can nearly always stand in for Gm and sounds a little warmer and less final.