It had to be you in G

Isham Jones / Gus Kahn(1924)swing
Do Re MiC D E
A
B
D7♯5
D7♯5

Chord Diagrams — It had to be you in G (Guitar)

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It had to be you in G

Key of G

G major is the singer-songwriter's key. The open G, B, and D strings spell out the full G major triad with zero fretting. Add the open high E for a Gadd6 shimmer. Nearly every diatonic chord (Em, Am, C, D) has a comfortable open voicing. G is a beginner-level key on guitar because the open G, B, and D strings form a complete G major triad without fretting a single note, and the open low E adds a rich 6th color. Beginners will find this key approachable since most chords use open voicings with minimal stretching.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to E (descending minor third), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to D# (ascending half step), D# to E (ascending half step), E to D# (descending half step), D# to A (ascending tritone), A to A (ascending unison), A to G (descending whole step), G to B (ascending major third), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to G (ascending minor third). A half-step bass movement creates a strong leading-tone pull that demands resolution. The root motion by larger intervals (fourths and fifths) gives each chord change a strong, decisive character. When the progression loops, the bass returns from G to D by perfect fourth.

Scales for Improvisation

G major pentatonic works because every note is either a chord tone or a safe passing tone — there are no avoid notes. For soloing, this means you can play freely without clashing. Over dominant seventh chords, G Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.

swing4/4 · 26 bars · Form: AB

Chords: D7♯5, G, E7, A7, D7, D♯dim, Em7, D♯7, Am, Am7, G7, B7, Em, Gdim.

Scales for Improvisation G bebop, G bebop major.

Diatonic chords: See all chords in the key of G