Chords in the Key of G Major — Ukulele Chord Chart

Ukulele Chords in the Key of G Major

The key of G major has 1 sharp, and its seven chords are G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F♯dim. Start with G, C, D: they are the three a song in G major cannot do without. Every diagram below plays when you press it.

The seven chords of G major

One chord on each note of the scale, built from the scale’s own notes. Capital numerals are major chords, small ones minor, and ° is diminished.

IG0232the home chord
iiAm2000leads to V
iiiBm4222a softer stand-in for I
IVC0003the step away from home
VD2220pulls back to I
viEm0432the relative minor
vii°F♯dim2020rare — a passing chord

The three to learn first

G is home — the chord the song starts from and ends on. C is the step away, and D is the one that pulls back home. On ukulele they are 0232, 0003 and 2220: G with three fingers, C with one finger and D with three fingers.

Progressions in G major

The orders these chords are most often played in. Press play to hear each one strummed, a bar to a chord.

I – IV – VG – C – D

Three chords, and thousands of folk, blues, country and rock songs.

I – V – vi – IVG – D – Em – C

The four-chord pop progression.

I – vi – IV – VG – Em – C – D

The 1950s doo-wop turnaround.

ii – V – IAm – D7 – G

The jazz cadence: two steps toward home, then home.

The sevenths

Four-note versions of the same chords. D7 is the one worth learning first: it is D with one note added, and it pulls toward G harder than the plain chord does.

V7D72223the dominant with its seventh — the strongest pull home
Imaj7Gmaj70222home, softened
ii7Am70000the jazz player’s way into V7

The scale behind the chords

G major is the notes G – A – B – C – D – E – F♯. Every chord above uses only those seven notes, which is why they sound as if they belong together — and why a melody in G major fits over any of them. Its relative minor is E minor, which has the same notes and the same chords with a different home.

The nearest keys are a fifth either side: D major and C major. Each shares six of this key’s seven notes, which is why songs change key to them so often.

Frequently asked questions

What chords are in the key of G major?

G (I), Am (ii), Bm (iii), C (IV), D (V), Em (vi), F♯dim (vii°). They are the seven chords you get by stacking thirds on each note of the G major scale — G, A, B, C, D, E, F♯ — using only notes of that scale.

What are the three main chords in G major?

G, C and D — the chords on the first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. G is home, C moves away from it and D pulls back. A great many songs use only these three.

What is the relative minor of G major?

E minor. The two keys share all seven notes and all seven chords, in a different order: what is vi in G major is the home chord of E minor. A song can move between them without any chord sounding out of place.

Is G major an easy key on ukulele?

One everyday chord — Bm — needs a barre or four fingers on ukulele.

Strum them yourself

The playable ukulele puts the chords of a key in a row: tap one to hold it, and drag across the strings.

Play the Virtual Ukulele