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How to Play The G Chord on Bass
The most common way to play the G Chord on bass is at the 5th position of the fretboard. Play it with your ring, pinky, and middle fingers. Here’s how to place your fingers:
- Ring finger (3) on fret 5 of the A string
- Pinky finger (4) on fret 5 of the D string
- Middle finger (2) on fret 4 of the G string
The root note, G, is on the 5th fret of the D string, which you can see in the chord diagram below.
You can also play G major as a dyad, which means playing it with only the 2 primary intervals: the root and the 3rd.
Use this G major arpeggio bass diagram to visualize and construct the G major chord in any position on your fretboard.
Other names for G Major
The G major chord can be written in several ways, including:
- G Major
- Gmaj
- G
These notations all represent the same chord, built from the notes G, B, and D.
Practicing the G chord on bass
The G chord is the root chord in the G major scale, so use it in a 1-4-5 progression in the key of G major. This gives you the chords G – C – D.
G major also sounds great as the V chord in the C major scale. Use it in a C major chord progression such as G – F – C.