G Chord Guitar Guide
Use this G chord guitar guide to check one fingering at a time. Play G major with all six strings in standard tuning. Start with the three-finger open shape, 3–2–0–0–0–3 from strings 6 to 1. Its notes are G, B and D. You can also select the four-finger version below; the diagram, TAB, string check and reference tones follow your choice.
GOpen G
Reference tones, not a guitar recording.
G · B · D
Strum strings 6–1.
Place three fingers
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3 | 2 | G2 | |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | B2 | |
| 4 | Open | — | D3 | |
| 3 | Open | — | G3 | |
| 2 | Open | — | B3 | |
| 1 | 3 | 3 | G4 |
TAB (strings 1–6)
1|3 2|0 3|0 4|0 5|2 6|3
Printing the Open-position reference fingering.
How to play G cleanly
For the default G chord guitar fingering, place your index finger on string 5 at fret 2, middle finger on string 6 at fret 3, and ring finger on string 1 at fret 3. Leave strings 4, 3 and 2 open. Unlike the open C chord, this G shape includes the low E string, fretted to G.
Read the diagram with string 6 on the left and string 1 on the right. A circle means an open string; a number in a dot identifies a finger. This page’s two G shapes have no X strings. TAB numbers are fret numbers, not finger numbers; its top line is string 1.
Pluck the six strings one at a time before strumming. If the open fourth string is muted, check whether the index finger on string 5 is touching it. If the first string buzzes, adjust its fingertip nearer the third-fret wire without pressing on the wire. Change one thing, then test that string again.
The low and high fretted strings make this shape span the neck. Give yourself time to place the fingers individually. Neither a larger reach nor a louder reference sound proves you are pressing correctly; use the string check and your own listening.
G chord guitar shapes: three or four fingers
Open-position reference
Strings 6 → 1: 3 · 2 · 0 · 0 · 0 · 3
Four-finger G
Strings 6 → 1: 3 · 2 · 0 · 0 · 3 · 3
The default three-finger G leaves the B string open. The four-finger G keeps the index and middle fingers on the bass strings, moves the ring finger to string 2 at fret 3, and puts the little finger on string 1 at fret 3. Strings 4 and 3 remain open; all six strings still sound.
Compare the G chord guitar diagrams and note tables to see what actually changes. In the four-finger version, string 2 changes from B3 to D4. The chord remains G major because G, B and D are still present: the B on string 5 remains. This is a different voicing, not a G7 chord. Try both sounds and choose a shape that fits the passage you are learning; this reference does not claim one is best for every player.
Only these two verified open-position examples are selectable here. A different fingering or a barre shape may also produce G major, but this page does not generate untested alternatives or claim to list every possible G chord.
Notes in the G major chord
Read the G chord guitar note list as chord tones and as individual sounding strings. G major contains G (root), B (major third) and D (perfect fifth). The default shape sounds G2, B2, D3, G3, B3 and G4 from low to high. Repeated G and B notes do not turn it into a six-note chord identity: there are three different note names in this voicing.
The four-finger shape sounds G2, B2, D3, G3, D4 and G4. Compare the two string tables to locate the changed note rather than inferring it from the finger count. The synthesized reference tones use exactly these stored pitches; they are not a recorded guitar and do not check your tuning or playing.
G minor uses B flat in place of B; G7 adds F; Gmaj7 adds F sharp. Those names describe different chords, not extra labels for either G major shape shown here. This page does not provide playable shapes for those other chord types.
Try a chord change: G → C
Move your index finger.String 5, fret 2 → string 2, fret 1
Move your middle finger.String 6, fret 3 → string 4, fret 2
Move your ring finger.String 1, fret 3 → string 5, fret 3
This G chord guitar exercise uses a fixed pair. Use the default three-finger G and the open C shown in this exercise. All three fretting fingers move: index from string 5, fret 2 to string 2, fret 1; middle from string 6, fret 3 to string 4, fret 2; ring from string 1, fret 3 to string 5, fret 3. No finger stays on the same string and fret in this pair.
First form G and check all six strings. Pause, release excess pressure, form C and check strings 5 through 1. Change your strumming start from string 6 for G to string 5 for C; leave the low E silent in C. Repeat the slow change in reverse before trying a continuous alternation.
Try four slow G–C alternations, with one gentle strum per chord and a pause whenever needed. This is a suggested coordination exercise, not a speed test. If a note becomes unclear, stop the alternation and return to that chord’s string check. The checkbox is your own reminder and does not save a score or listen through a microphone.
The exercise always uses the default three-finger G, even when the main reference above is set to four fingers. Its diagrams and reference sound are labelled separately so you can compare a stable pair without silently changing the exercise.
G chord guitar questions
Do I strum all six strings for G?
Yes, for both open shapes on this page. String 6 is fretted at fret 3 and sounds G2. That differs from the open C reference, which leaves string 6 out.
Should I use three or four fingers?
Both stored versions produce G major. Three fingers leaves the B string open; four fingers frets that string at 3 for D and uses the little finger on the high G. Compare the sound and the next chord rather than treating finger count as a correctness rule.
Why is an open string muted or a fretted note buzzing?
Check one string at a time. A neighboring fingertip may touch an open string; a fretted note may need the fingertip repositioned nearer the fret wire. Adjust one finger and try again. The page supplies reference pitches, not an automatic diagnosis.
Is G the same as Gm or G7?
No. G major uses G, B and D. Gm uses B flat instead of B, while G7 includes F. The four-finger G shown here still contains only G, B and D.
Can I print or share a G chord guitar fingering?
Print / save PDF prints the selected fingering, its note names and the six-string table. Use your browser’s PDF option to save it. Share includes the voicing in the link and restores it without starting sound. There is no separate fixed G download file on this page.
Related chords and tools
- Return to the guitar chord chart
- Learn a beginner chord pair
- C Guitar Chord
- Find the G, B, D notes on the fretboard
Reference and practice notes
This G chord guitar reference cross-checks finger positions with Fender: G major finger positions and open-shape variation. The G → C exercise is an original practice suggestion. The diagrams and synthesized tones provide a reference, not a teacher assessment or a recording of your playing.