Gm7 Piano Chord

Gm7 is the G minor seventh chord. It has four notes: G, B flat, D and F. Only the B flat is a black key.

Gm7 piano chord diagram, root position, G B♭ D F

G at the bottom, then B♭ and D and F. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1. The black key is B♭.

How to play Gm7 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the G below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): G
  3. Index finger (2): B♭
  4. Middle finger (3): D
  5. Little finger (5): F
  6. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just G on its own as a bass note.

Gm7 is the first chord of the ii V I in F: Gm7, C7, F. Learning those three together is more useful than learning any of them alone.

Inversions of Gm7

The same 4 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Gm7; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionB♭ D F G
Gm7 piano chord diagram, first inversion, B♭ D F G
Lighter than root position and less final. A flat third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionD F G B♭
Gm7 piano chord diagram, second inversion, D F G B♭
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.
Third inversionF G B♭ D
Gm7 piano chord diagram, third inversion, F G B♭ D
The most restless of the four. The seventh is the note that wants to move, and putting it underneath the whole chord makes that pull impossible to miss.

If it sounds wrong

The chord sounds bright
The second note is B flat, the black key to the left of B. B natural would give G7, a dominant chord.
The index finger keeps slipping
It sits on a black key between two white ones. Move the whole hand slightly further into the keyboard so it reaches the key properly.
The chord is muddy
Root position Gm7 sits below middle C. Use an inversion or play it an octave higher.

What makes it a Gm7

G · B♭ · D · F 1 ♭3 5 ♭7

Gm7 is a G minor triad, G B flat D, with an F added: the flat seventh.

It is the ii chord of F and the vi of B flat. In jazz that first job is the common one, and Gm7 to C7 to F is one of the most played progressions there is.

Gm7 vs Gm

Gm7 is G minor with an F on top. The seventh fills the chord out and takes the starkness off it.

In a jazz or soul context Gm7 is almost always the better choice: a plain minor triad can sound bare next to the sevenths around it.

Gm7 in major keys

Every note of Gm7 sits inside these keys. See how it works alongside the other chords in each one.

Questions about Gm7

Which notes are in a Gm7 chord on piano?

G, B flat, D and F. B flat is the black key to the left of B; the rest are white.

What fingers do you use for Gm7?

Right hand: thumb on G, index on B flat, middle on D, little finger on F. Left hand: 5, 3, 2, 1.

What is the difference between Gm7 and G7?

The second note. Gm7 has B flat and sounds soft; G7 has B natural and pulls hard toward C.

Where does Gm7 fit in a progression?

It is the ii chord in F. The standard move from here is Gm7 to C7 to F.

Is Gm7 hard to play?

No. One black key inside the chord and a comfortable span of a seventh.

Chords to learn next

Other G chords