G#7 electric guitar chord
G#7 (G sharp seventh) is built from G#, B#, D# and F#, the degrees 1–3–5–b7. On electric guitar, the main shape is 4 6 4 5 4 4, the first diagram, marked with the star. It sounds the same as A♭7 (Ab, C, Eb and Gb), the usual name in flat keys.
A doorbell ringing with nobody answering. A phone buzzing face-down on the table. Some things only exist to be resolved — G#7 is their musical version. Give the audio below a listen and feel the unfinished business.
Hear G#7 before you play
Why G#7 sounds this way
Why does it sound unfinished? Inside G#7, two notes are arguing: C and F#. Play the arpeggio again, no rush and catch the second and the last note — the distance between them is the tritone, one of the tensest intervals in tonal music. G# and D# keep the house standing while those two argue inside it. And an argument, you know, demands a resolution.
How to play G#7 on electric guitar
On the electric guitar a chord needs only a few clear notes — the amp sustains them and fills the space, so you mute the strings you are not playing and let the tone carry the rest. So grab the first position below; it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. Now the experiment that explains this chord better than any explanation: play G#7, let it ring a moment, then play C#. Felt the door close? Do it again. That relief is the dominant's job.
In the app: 38 G#7 shapes on electric guitar
With the fingering and audio of each one, free. In the app, the arpeggio of each shape is part of Pro.
Precision Tuner: Get in tune before you play: chromatic tuner and reference tones, free in standard tuning · see it in Chord and Fret
Save the positions below for when the blues calls: over there, this chord is the house language.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
G#7 notes and degrees
G#7 stacks the root G#, the major third B#, the perfect fifth D# and the minor seventh F#.
Where G#7 shows up
Its most common job is the dominant, and dominants live as VII7 in A# minor, V7 in C# major. Plainly: where it enters, the song is usually about to leave the room. In the blues, though, G#7 can also be the home chord. A chart full of 7th chords is a song that won't sit still.
Transpose & Capo: Need it in another key? Transpose the progression for free; finding the best capo is part of Pro · try it in Chord and Fret
Identify Chord: Found a shape on your fretboard? Mark it on the screen and the app names the chord, 5 times a day for free · use it in Chord and Fret
Where G#7 usually goes
When G#7 works as the dominant of C#, it usually resolves to C# or C#mC#mC#mC#m. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, G#7 can be the home chord itself. It's a tendency, not a law.
Going beyond G#7
For soloing, G# Mixolydian (G# A# B# C# D# E# F# · 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7: the major scale with a lowered seventh — the blues accent); G# Lydian dominant (G# A# B# C## D# E# F# · 1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7: a mixolydian with a raised fourth: the dominant in formalwear) cover the whole chord. And look at the first swap on the list below: that's the famous tritone substitution, the twin dominant living three whole steps from here, the one arrangers reach for when they want to arrive at the same place by a prettier road.
G# Mixolydian
In the app: the 7 positions of G# Mixolydian on electric guitar
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same G# Mixolydian in its main shapes along the neck — pick whichever position sits under your hand. The rings mark the guide notes (the 3rd and 7th) that carry this chord's color.
Scales to improvise over G#7
The G# Mixolydian scale is a common choice over G#7: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. When G#7 moves to C#, its third, B#, is the leading tone of C#: the note that wants to rise a half step.
Swaps that work:
- D7D7D7D7 — Tritone substitution (shared 3rd–7th tritone)
- D#m7D#m7D#m7D#m7 — Forms a II–V: precede with this ii
- Adim7 — Passing diminished (ascending)
Reharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · open in Chord and Fret
G#7 jazz voicings
Jazz Lab: Drop 2 voicings in any key, free; drop 3 and shell are part of Pro · try it in Chord and Fret
The question this page asked has a one-click answer: C#. Don't end the day without playing both in a row.
G#7 chord questions
What notes are in the G#7 chord?
The G#7 chord is made of the notes G#, B#, D# and F#.
How do you play G#7 on electric guitar?
Form the shape from string 6 to string 1: 4 6 4 5 4 4. The shape starts at fret 4.
What chord comes after G#7?
When G#7 works as the dominant of C#, it usually resolves to C# or C#m. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, G#7 can be the home chord itself.
What scale works over G#7?
The G# Mixolydian scale is a common choice over G#7: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.