G#/A♭ Minor 7th
4th FretThe standard G#m7 — Em7-shape barre at the 4th fret. Barre fret 4 with the index across all six strings, then ring on A fret 6. The most widely used G#m7 voicing, with the root on the low E string.
G#/A♭ Minor 7th
11th FretAm7-shape barre at the 11th fret. Barre fret 11 with the index across the A, D, G, B, and high e strings; ring on D fret 13, middle on B fret 12. A full G#m7 voicing rooted on the A string.
G#/A♭ Minor 7th
6th FretA compact 4-string D-shape voicing with the root on the D string at fret 6. Index on D fret 6 (root), pinky on G fret 8 (5th), ring on B fret 7 (minor 7th), middle on high e fret 7 (minor 3rd). Strum the top four strings only — no barre.
G#/A♭ Minor 7th
11th FretCompact three-note voicing on the top strings — minor 7th on G fret 11, minor 3rd on B fret 12, 5th on high e fret 11. Only three fingers, no barre. Great for fast comping and quiet rhythm work.
G#/A♭ Minor 7th
16th FretThe 4th-fret Em7-shape barre moved one octave up — barre across all six strings at fret 16 with the index, then ring on A fret 18. Bright and cutting for high-register chord work.
Tips for Playing the G#m7 Chord
Start with the Em7-shape barre
The 4-6-4-4-4-4 shape at fret 4 is the standard G#m7. It is fully moveable — slide it up or down to play any minor 7th chord on the low E string root.
Try the 4-string D-shape
The x-x-6-8-7-7 voicing on the top four strings is a great alternative — no barre, just four fingers. Useful when you need a clean, articulate G#m7 in jazz comping.
Mute the low E for A-shape barre
The Am7-shape barre at fret 11 skips the low E. Let the side of your index lightly touch the low E to mute it as you strum.
G#m7 in the ii–V–I
G#m7 → C#7 → F#maj7 is the classic ii–V–I in F# major. Practising this cycle through different keys is one of the fastest ways to internalise jazz harmony.
Spell it as A♭m7 in flat keys
In written music, this chord is sometimes spelled A♭m7 (in flat-key signatures). The shape and sound are identical to G#m7 — only the name changes.
Sub for G#m
G#m7 sounds great as a substitute for G#m in soul, R&B, neo-soul, and bossa nova. The added F# (minor 7th) softens the chord without changing its overall feel.
About the G#m7 Chord on Guitar
The G#m7 chord is built from four notes: G# (the root), B (the minor 3rd), D# (the perfect 5th), and F# (the minor 7th). It is the G# minor triad with an added flat 7th, giving the chord a smooth, mellow, slightly melancholy character. Because the G#, D#, and F# all require fretted notes, every G#m7 voicing depends on at least one barre or moveable fingering — the standard Em7-shape barre at fret 4 (4-6-4-4-4-4) is the most accessible. G#m7 functions as the vi chord in B major (a frequent pop and jazz key), the iii chord in E major, and the ii chord in F# major, appearing constantly in jazz, R&B, neo-soul, and modern pop. This page covers five voicings, from the standard Em7-shape barre at fret 4 to a high-register barre an octave up. Every diagram is interactive and playable with real acoustic guitar sound. G#m7 is enharmonically identical to A♭m7 — the same chord, spelled differently depending on the key.
- 015 G#m7/A♭m7 chord shapes from beginner to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Real acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Em7-shape barre, Am7-shape barre, 4-string D-shape, top-string voicing, and high-register barre
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 4 notes that form the G#/A♭ Minor 7th chord and their role in the major scale.
Every minor 7th chord follows this same formula — root, minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.