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Key

G minor

G minor is the minor key on the tonic G with two flats: B♭ and E♭. Its relative key is B♭ major. The leading tone F♯ is never in the key signature but appears as an accidental in the bar.

Tonic
G
Key signature
2 flats (B♭, E♭)
Tonic chord
G–B♭–D
Dominant
D major, D–F♯–A
Leading tone
F♯
Relative key
B♭ major
Parallel key
G major
Neighbours on the circle of fifths
D minor, C minor

The key with two flats

G minor has the same key signature as B♭ major: B♭ and E♭. In natural minor the semitone steps lie between the second and third and between the fifth and sixth degrees. As in all minor keys the leading tone is missing in the natural form, which is why the seventh degree is raised to F♯.

Natural G minor

G A B♭ C D E♭ F G 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1

The key signature has two flats: B♭ and E♭.

Harmonic G minor

G A B♭ C D E♭ F♯ G 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1½ ½

The seventh degree is raised to F♯, the leading tone. Between E♭ and F♯ the augmented second arises.

The borrowed leading tone

In the Minuet in G minor from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach there is regularly an F♯, although the key signature has two flats. That is the borrowed leading tone, and it is the reason why every phrase arrives where it should, as the article The leading tone writes. The article plays through the same cadence to C major in three versions: G–C, G7–C and G minor–C. The third version has no leading tone, and the closing effect disappears.

The article Major and minor: the third as a switch names Tchaikovsky's “Old French Song” from the children's album op. 39 as an example: a plain melody in G minor whose effect rests almost entirely on the minor third. The piece is in the archive and linked below.

3 ♭C minorrelative E♭ major
2 ♭G minorrelative B♭ major
1 ♭D minorrelative F major

Pieces in G minor

Piano

Practice: In the module Key Signatures the higher levels also ask for the relative minor keys: two flats mean B♭ major or G minor. The ending and the F♯ settle the key.

Common mistakes

  • Confusing G minor and B♭ major: Both have two flats. The ending decides.
  • Looking for the F♯ in the key signature: It appears as an accidental in the bar.
  • Spelling: Write the note letter as a capital and the mode word in lowercase: “G minor”, “G major”.

Continue on Maikstrings

The leading tone

Why there is an F♯ in G minor although the key signature has two flats.

Major and minor: the third as a switch

Tchaikovsky's “Old French Song” in G minor as an example.

Circle of fifths

G minor in context: two flats, B♭ major as the relative.

Related terms

MinorB♭ majorD minorC minorG majorKeyRelative keyHarmonic minorCircle of fifths

Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026

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