Julie Swihart

Minor Second Chords

Let’s look at how to play a Gm2 (G minor second) chord on the piano. We’ll also learn the pattern for playing any minor second chord.

What Are Minor Second Chords?

Minor second chords are minor chords with an added note. The added note is the second note of the matching major scale.

We can build a minor chord by playing the first, third and fifth notes of the matching minor scale. So to build a G minor chord, we’d play the first, third and fifth notes of a G minor scale.

We can also build a minor chord by playing a major chord and lowering the middle note 1/2 step.

Then we can add the second note of the matching major (or minor, the second note will be the same) scale to the chord to create a minor second chord.

Chord Types Printable

Learn to play 17 types of piano chords using 12 different root notes with this 34-page PDF! Chords are sorted both by their root note (C, D, E, etc.) and type (major, minor, augmented, diminished, etc.).

Get the Printable

How to Play a Gm2 Chord

To play a Gm2 chord, we’ll start by building a G minor chord using the first, third and fifth notes of the G minor scale: G – B♭ – D

Then we’ll add the second note of the G major scale, A.

So to play our Gm2 chord, we’d play:

G – A – B♭ – D

You can use this pattern to build any minor second chord. First build a minor chord, then add the second note of the matching major scale.

Minor Add9 Chords

A Gm2 chord actually has the same notes as a Gmadd9 chord. Minor add9 chords are minor chords with the ninth note of the scale added to the chord. Since scales don’t actually have nine notes (they have eight), the ninth refers to the note you would play if the scale were repeated. This is the same note as the second note of the scale, just one octave up.

So a Gm2 chord is:
G – A – B♭ – D

And a Gmadd9 chord is:
G – B♭ – D – A

Other Chord Types

There are many other types of chords you can learn. Here are some others:

Major
Minor
Diminished
Augmented
Second
Fifth
Suspended
Sixth
Minor sixth
Seventh
Minor seventh
Major seventh
Ninth
Minor ninth
Major ninth

Conclusion

Now you know how to play a Gm2 chord on the piano, and you know the pattern for building any minor second chord. Minor second chords can often be used as substitutes for minor chords. The added note adds a nice depth and variety to the minor chord.