In this lesson, you will learn where the notes are located on the G String.
If you just started learning the violin, one of the first things you might wonder is where to find all the notes on the violin strings. In this lesson you will learn all the notes on the G string.
By the end of this lesson you can expect to know exactly what the notes on the G string are and how to play them.
What is the G String on a Violin?
The G string is the thickest of the four strings and the lowest in pitch. It is the string located on the left-hand side of the neck on the instrument – adjacent to the D string.
If you play on a left-handed violin, the G string would be on the right side.
This is what the G string sounds like:
What are the Violin Notes on the G String?
In the first position from low to high, the notes on the G string are G, Ab, A, Bb, B, C, C#, and D.
To see exactly how the notes are placed on the violin fingerboard, have a look at the chart below:
In this video I play all notes on the G string and tell you where they are on the staff and what are they called:
Playing the Violin Notes on the G String
When you play the notes on the G string, it is important to play each note with the correct finger number.
Every finger on your left hand is assigned a number, except the thumb. We do not use the thumb to play actual notes, but to hold the instrument.
The index finger is given the number 1; the middle finger is given 2; the ring finger is given 3; and the pinky finger is given 4.
The notes on the G string are played with the following finger numbers:
The first/index finger positions
- Ab – low first finger
- A – high first finger
The second finger positions
- Bb – low second finger
- B – high second finger
The third finger positions
- C – low third finger
- C# – high third finger
The fourth finger position
- D – This note is the same pitch as the next open string to the right on your violin, the D string.
The G String Notes in Violin Sheet Music
Here is what the violin notes on the G string look like in violin sheet music.
The first and lowest note that you can see in the image below is the open G string. This is also the lowest note you will ever encounter in violin sheet music.
In the image you can also see all the other notes on the G string, along with the finger numbers with which you should play the notes.
Now it’s time for a small exercise.
Here you can see a few notes on the violin G string. Can you write the correct fingering above the notes?
Answer: 3, 4, 0, 2, 2, 1, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 1
Advanced Notes on the G String
Next to the basic notes on the G string, there are higher, more advanced Notes on the G string as well. We can only reach those notes if we play in the higher violin positions. The highest note on the G string is a C.
If we have to play higher notes on the G string, a composer normally adds the term “sul G” or “4ta” to the notes. This means that the notes should be placed on the G string instead of the higher violin strings.
The fingering of these notes is usually depicted in the violin sheet music.
Have a look at the picture below. Can you recognise where the player needs to start playing on the G string, and where the finger numbers are?
Answer: notes to be played on the G string start in bar 9 after the rest and end in bar 15 before the rest. Next bar to be played on the G string is bar 18 with first note of bar 19, then bar 20 except the first note. Finger numbers are located above the notes.
Fingering Chart for All Notes on the G String [Free PDF Download]
This free fingering chart illustrates the lowest to the highest note in the first position on the G
Make sure to keep the chart close to you when you practice for an easy reference of the correct fingering on the G string.
Get Your Free Fingering Charts
of All Violin Notes
Notes on the Other Violin Strings
Now that you’ve learned to play all the notes on the G string, you might be curious about the notes on all the other violin strings.
I wrote a similar lesson for each one of the other violin strings. You can read all of the lessons below:
I also wrote a lesson on all the violin notes, where you can download the fingering charts of the notes on each violin string. You can check out that lesson here:
It’s Time to Start Practicing!
Now that you know all the notes on the G string, it’s time to practice!
Place your violin on your shoulder and carefully try to find each note on the G string.
If you are unsure if you are playing the note in tune, make sure to use my free online tuner to check your intonation.
As soon as you can play all the notes on the G string, you are well on your way to play your first beautiful songs on the violin.
