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Minuet in G: guitar chords and tab for beginners
Germany, about 1725
Minuet in G
by Christian Petzold
- Tempo
- 108beats per minute
- Count
- 3beats in each bar
- Key
- G majorthe home note
- Level
- 1 of 3easiest
Level 1. Strum one chord per beat. Start here.
Chord names above, strum arrows below. Down arrow = strum down toward the floor, up arrow = back up.
Hold this chord
How to read it
- Red cross: don’t play that string. Skip it when you strum.
- Green circle: play that string open, with no finger on it.
- Number: press there with that finger. 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky.
- Letters: the strings, thickest (low E) on the left to thinnest (high e) on the right.
Space bar plays and pauses. Left and right arrows jump a bar.
The chords
The chords in Minuet in G
3 chords, all open shapes: G, C, D7. 3 beats in each bar, 108 beats per minute, in G major.
G major
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →C major
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →D seven
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →
In words: G major is 3 2 0 0 0 3. C major is x 3 2 0 1 0. D seven is x x 0 2 1 2. Numbers are frets, thick string to thin, and x means do not play that string.
About the song
Long credited to Bach because it sits in the notebook he made for his wife, the Minuet was written by Christian Petzold around 1725. This is the opening eight bars, played an octave down so the whole line sits in the first four frets.
Questions people ask
- What chords are in Minuet in G?
- Three chords: G, C and D7. All of them are open shapes, so some strings ring without a finger on them.
- What key is Minuet in G in?
- G major. The key control on this page moves it up or down, and tells you where to put a capo so you can keep the same easy shapes.
- Is Minuet in G easy to play on guitar?
- It is one of the harder songs here: three chords at 108 beats per minute. Slow it to 50 percent, and try Ode to Joy and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star first if it fights back.
- What is the strumming pattern for Minuet in G?
- Five strums in each bar: down, down, up, down, up. There are 3 beats in every bar. The arrows above the chord boxes move with the sound, so you can see the pattern as you hear it.
- How do I play Minuet in G on guitar?
- Three ways on this page, all from the same arrangement. Chords mode strums one chord at a time, Melody mode picks the tune from the tab, and Fingerstyle mode plays the bass with your thumb under the tune. Start in Chords mode at 60 percent speed.
- Who wrote Minuet in G?
- Christian Petzold. Germany, about 1725. The music is old enough to be in the public domain, so it is free to learn, play and record.
Learn more
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Guitar fretboard
The guitar fretboard explained for beginners: frets, strings, the dots, and every note on the first twelve frets, on a clear map you can read..
Guitar string notes
The notes on every guitar string, open and up the neck, with a fretboard map.
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