Rising Sun · Classics

Gm · Bb · C · Eb · Gm · D7

i · ♭III · IV · ♭VI · i · V7 in the key of G

The House of the Rising Sun walk — minor, climbing, inevitable.

Four bars of rising sun in the key of G, written i · ♭III · IV · ♭VI · i · V7 and played let it ring at around 104 beats per minute. The chord shapes are below, and you can hear the whole thing play (and slow it down) without an account.

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What the chords are

This is i · ♭III · IV · ♭VI · i · V7 in the key of G. The degree of each chord is what makes the progression recognisable in any key, so the same four moves transpose anywhere once you know them by number.

• Gm i in open position, frets 1 to 3, on 3 strings
• Bb ♭III at the 3rd fret, on 3 strings
• C IV at the 5th fret, on 3 strings
• Eb ♭VI at the 8th fret, on 3 strings
• Gm i up at the 11th fret, spanning to the 12th, on 3 strings
• D7 V7 up at the 7th fret, spanning to the 8th, on 4 strings

How it should feel

Strum

Let it ring

Groove

None

Tempo

104 bpm

Key

G

Voicings

The Climb

The top voice steps upward through the progression — a melody rising inside the chords.

The shapes

Low E on the left, high e on the right. 0 is an open string, × is one you do not play.

More Classics

• G · B7 · C · Cm I · III7 · IV · iv in G · The Creep
• G · D · Em · Bm · C · G · C · D I · V · vi · iii · IV · I · IV · V in G · The Canon
• Em · C · G · D vi · IV · I · V in G · Minor Anthem
• Em · D · C · B i · ♭VII · ♭VI · V in E · The Fall

Posted Oct 1, 2026. Part of a growing library of guitar chord progressions.