PorchtoneQuick answer: the seven chords in G♭ major are G♭, A♭m, B♭m, B, D♭, E♭m, F°. The strongest are G♭, B and D♭ (the I, IV and V); most songs in G♭ lean on those.
The chords
| G♭IG♭ B♭ D♭ | A♭miiA♭ B E♭ | B♭miiiB♭ D♭ F | BIVB E♭ G♭ | D♭VD♭ F A♭ | E♭mviE♭ G♭ B♭ | F°vii°F A♭ B |
Progressions that sound good in G♭
- Pop anthemG♭ – D♭ – E♭m – B (I V vi IV)
Big, hopeful, singable. One of the most used progressions in pop.
- SensitiveE♭m – B – G♭ – D♭ (vi IV I V)
The same four chords starting on the minor: wistful, then lifting.
- FiftiesG♭ – E♭m – B – D♭ (I vi IV V)
Doo-wop and slow-dance warmth.
- LiftB – G♭ – D♭ – E♭m (IV I V vi)
Starts away from home, so it feels like it is always reaching.
- Slow burnG♭ – B♭m – B – D♭ (I iii IV V)
Tender, with a gentle ache on the iii chord.
- HymnG♭ – B – G♭ – D♭ (I IV I V)
Plain and honest; leaves room for the words.
- Three chordsG♭ – B – D♭ (I IV V)
The backbone of folk, country and rock and roll.
- HighwayG♭ – E – B – G♭ (I bVII IV I)
Open-road rock: the borrowed ♭VII gives it swagger.
- HeartlandG♭ – E – B – B (I bVII IV IV)
Jangly, wide-open guitar rock.
- 12-bar bluesG♭7 – G♭7 – G♭7 – G♭7 – B7 – B7 – G♭7 – G♭7 – D♭7 – B7 – G♭7 – D♭7 (I7 I7 I7 I7 IV7 IV7 I7 I7 V7 IV7 I7 V7)
Twelve bars that most of rock and roll grew out of.
- Two-five-oneA♭m7 – D♭7 – G♭maj7 (ii7 V7 Imaj7)
The basic cadence of jazz standards.
Playing in G♭ with a capo
If the barre chords in G♭ are a stretch, put a capo on and play easier open shapes. The song still sounds in G♭.
| Capo | Play these shapes |
|---|---|
| Fret 2 | E, G♭m, A♭m, A, B, D♭m (shapes from E) |
| Fret 4 | D, Em, G♭m, G, A, Bm (shapes from D) |
| Fret 6 | C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am (shapes from C) |
Related keys
G♭ major shares all its chords with its relative minor, E♭ minor. Its closest neighbours are D♭ major and B major, which share six of its seven notes and make easy key changes.