This chord has 4 voicings across the fretboard. Use the arrows to see each shape and fingering — and tap any dot on the diagram to hear that note.
G Major Guitar Chord
A big, resonant open chord that rings with warmth. G Major is one of the most-used chords in all of popular music.
Also known as
- G
- GM
- G M
- Gmaj
- G maj
- Gmajor
- G major
How to Play This Chord
Position your fingers on the fretboard as shown in the diagram. The vertical lines represent the strings, from low E (left) to high E (right), and the horizontal lines are the frets. Numbers inside the dots indicate which finger to use: 1 (index), 2 (middle), 3 (ring), 4 (pinky). An X means don't play that string; an O means play it open. A bar spanning multiple strings means one finger presses across all of them at once — this is known as a barre chord.
Tips & Tricks
Open G is a foundational chord with multiple valid fingerings. Some players use fingers 1-2-3, others prefer 2-3-4 (which frees the index finger for embellishments). The biggest challenge is keeping the A string clean — make sure your fingers aren't accidentally brushing it.