Gb Guitar Chord: Easy Ways To Play!

The Gb guitar chord has 3 notes. Gb, Bb, and Db. It is a major triad. While Gb is a rare key (F# is much more common), the chord may also be found in the keys of Db, Cb (enharmonically equivalent to B Major), Eb minor, and Bb minor.

The G flat chord might be notated as Gb, Gb Maj, or Gb△. As with all chords, there are quite a few ways to play Gb major, so let’s get into it!

Gb Guitar Chord Theory

The theory behind the Gb major chord is the same as usual for all major triads.

• The notes in an Gb major chord are Gb Bb Db
• A triad is a 3 note chord.
• A major triad is built from the root, major 3rd, and perfect 5th of a major scale.
• Gb to Bb is a major 3rd (M3), while Gb to Db make a perfect fifth (P5).

Gb -> Bb = M3

Gb -> Db = P5

M3 + P5 = major triad

• Jazz music often uses lead sheet symbols to notate chords. You might see Gb Major notated in the following ways: Gb, Gb Maj, Gb△.
• Gb is the first chord in the key of G flat Major. The seven chords in the key of Gb Major are: Gb, Abm, Bbm, Cb, Db, Ebm, F°.
• Gb is enharmonically equivalent to F# major, meaning they basically have all the same notes, but which one you are playing heavily depends on the context and key of the song. Don’t worry about it too much, just notice that all of the Gb chords will be played exactly the same as F#!

How To Play Gb

Method 1:

This method of playing Gb is the most beginner friendly!

• Place your index finger on the 2nd fret of the 2nd string and barre.
• Place your middle finger on the 3rd fret of the 3rd string.
• Place your ring finger on the 5th fret of the 4th string.

How To Play Gb Barre Chord

Barre chords can be difficult to execute, they are imperative for any guitarist to understand. Go ahead and give these a whirl…

Method 2:

• Place your index finger on the 2nd fret of the 6th string and barre.
• Place your middle finger on the 3rd fret of the 3rd string.
• Place your ring finger on the 4th fret of the 5th string.
• Place your pinky on the 4th fret of the 4th string.

Method 3:

• Place your index finger on the 9th fret of the 5th string and barre.
• Place your middle finger on the 11th fret of the 4th string.
• Place your ring finger on the 11th fret of the 3rd string.
• Place your pinky on the 11th fret of the 2nd string.

Alternate Ways To Play Gb

If you like experimenting with different chord voicings, be sure to try these out!

Method 4:

• Place your index finger on the 11th fret of the 3rd string and barre.

Method 5:

• Place your index finger on the 6th fret of the 3rd string.
• Place your middle finger on the 7th fret of the 2nd string.
• Place your ring finger on the 8th fret of the 4th string.

Method 6:

• Place your index finger on the 9th fret of the 1st string.
• Place your ring finger on the 11th fret of the 3rd string.
• Place your pinky on the 10th fret of the 2nd string.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GB guitar?

GB means nothing on guitar. However “Gb” means G flat. The lowercase b letter looks a lot like a flat symbol in music notation. It is shorthand.

What is the hardest guitar chord ever?

I am not advanced enough to make that assessment.

How do you play G flat Major chord?

When a chord just has notes in it, for example “Gb”, we can assume that the quality of the chord is major. Therefore you can learn G flat major by reading any of the charts listed above.

Conclusion

The key takeaways from today’s article are that the Gb guitar chord is made from the notes Gb, Bd, and Db. Notice how whenever all the accidentals match on a G chord, the chord is always major? That is something important to remember…

The Gb chord can be played in the open position for beginners, the same as a F# triad. It can also be played as a barre chord, or all the other ways higher up on the neck. Barring the top 3 strings on the 11th fret is a cool trick. 

Now that you know how to play Gb on guitar, go rock out!