F# Minor Chord On Guitar
Welcome to our tutorial on the F# minor (F# m) chord. This chord, a member of the Minor Chords family, is composed of the notes F#, A, and C#. It's built using the intervals 1 (Root), b3 (Minor Third), and 5 (Perfect Fifth). Mastering this chord will add depth and emotion to your guitar playing, as minor chords are known for their melancholic and introspective sound.
Understanding the intervals that construct the F# m chord is crucial for grasping its structure and sound. If you're new to the concept of music intervals, we recommend checking out our tutorial on fretboard intervals. This guide will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of intervals and how they are used to build chords.
Moreover, if you're interested in how chords are built by stacking intervals, we have a detailed tutorial that teaches how to build chords. This knowledge will not only help you understand the F# m chord better but also enhance your overall guitar playing skills.
Once you've mastered the F# m chord, you may want to explore more complex chords. Our tutorial about intermediate guitar chords is a great place to start. It will introduce you to a variety of chords that go beyond the basics, enriching your musical repertoire.
Lastly, if you find a chord shape on the fretboard and don't know how to name it, use our interactive tool to analyze chord shapes. It's an excellent resource for enhancing your chord recognition skills.
By the end of this tutorial, you'll be able to play the F# m chord with ease, understand its structure, and know how to incorporate it into your music. Let's dive in!
Notes in the F# m chord:
Chord Structure:
The F# Minor Chord | Keys, Songs and Harmonic Function
The most common way to play a F# minor chord is to move the well-known F minor chord one fret up the neck (remember, sharp, or '#', means 1 semitone up)
That's the beauty of bar chords; as they are movable: learning one shape allows you to play 12 different chords. You just need to shift that shape up or down the fretboard.
However, bar chords for beginners could be hard, so here below we show two easier ways.
How To Play The F# Minor Chord - Easy Version
This version is still a bar shape but it's easier, at the index finger has to press only 3 frets.
You could even drop the note on the 6th string (F#) and still have a F# minor chord, because all the 3 notes in the minor triad are present.
How To Play The F# Minor Chord - Super Easy Version
This is a super easy shape that you can fret with a 3-string barrè, or using index, middle, and ring fingers.
Actually, this is the first inversion of the F# minor chord, because the 3rd is the lowest note, but it still sounds ok.
F# Minor Key | Scale And Chords
The notes of F# minor scale are:
F# G# A B C# D E
So, if you take the first, third and fifth notes, you get F#, A and C#, as stated before.
If you repeat the same process for each note in the scale, you can build all the chords in the F sharp minor key.
The table below shows you the resulting chords.
| Key | i | ii | III | iv | v | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F#m | F#m | G# dim | A | Bm | C#m | D | E |
Common Keys With The F# Minor Chord
Finally, here we show the most common keys that have F# minor chord.
E Major Key
In the E major key the F# minor chord is the Supertonic (2nd degree)
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | E | F#m | G#m | A | B | C#m | D# dim |
D Major Key
The key in which we find the F# minor chord as Mediant (3rd degree) is the D major.
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | D | Em | F#m | G | A | Bm | C# dim |
A Major Key
The F# minor key is the relative minor of the A major key, so we find the F# minor chord at the 6th degree.
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | A | Bm | C#m | D | E | F#m | G# dim |
Songs with the F# minor chord
Three famous songs that use the F# minor chord are Crazy Train by Ozzy, which is in F# minor key, Wonderwall by Oasis, and I believe in a thing called love by Darkness, in F# minor key as well.
This ends our F# minor chord tutorial for guitar, for more resources about chords, check my complete ebook Chords Domination | Play Any Chord You Want Across All The Fretboard.
F#m Guitar Chord Diagrams
Chord boxes are sorted from the easiest to the hardest. Learn how to read chord diagrams.
If you have difficulties with bar chord shapes, check the Bar Chords Tips tutorial.
You can also use this accessible chords page with written diagrams instruction.
Position 1
Movable
Position 2
Movable
Position 3
Barre
Movable
Position 4
Barre
Movable
Position 5
Barre
Movable
You can find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you
prefer a printable pdf, download
the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf
FAQ
What are the specific notes and intervals that define the F# minor chord?
The F# minor chord is composed of the notes F#, A, and C#. These notes represent the 1 (Root), b3 (Minor Third), and 5 (Perfect Fifth) intervals respectively, relative to the root note F#.
Why are minor chords like F# minor often described as having a 'melancholic' or 'introspective' sound?
Minor chords inherently convey a melancholic or introspective emotion due to the presence of the minor third interval (b3). This specific interval creates a distinct sonic quality that is often associated with these feelings in music.
How does learning the F# minor chord using a barre shape allow me to play other chords?
Barre chords are 'movable' shapes, meaning that once you learn one shape, such as the F# minor barre, you can slide it up or down the fretboard to play 12 different chords. Each fret you move the shape changes the root note, while the chord's interval structure (minor, major, etc.) remains consistent.
What makes the 'super easy' F# minor chord shape a 'first inversion'?
The 'super easy' F# minor chord shape is considered a first inversion because the lowest note played is the third of the chord (A), rather than the root note (F#). In a root position chord, the root would be the lowest note.
How does the F# minor chord relate to the F# minor scale?
The F# minor chord is built directly from the F# minor scale (F# G# A B C# D E). The chord consists of the first, third, and fifth notes of this scale, which are F#, A, and C# respectively.
In which major keys is the F# minor chord commonly found, and what is its role in those keys?
The F# minor chord appears diatonically in several major keys. It functions as the Supertonic (ii) in the E Major key, the Mediant (iii) in the D Major key, and the Submediant (vi) in the A Major key (as F# minor is the relative minor of A major).
When playing the F# minor chord, is it always necessary to include all three notes (F#, A, C#)?
While the F# minor chord is defined by its three notes (F#, A, C#), it is not always strictly necessary to include all of them in every voicing. For instance, some easier versions allow you to drop certain notes (like the F# on the 6th string) as long as the essential minor triad notes are still present and audible, preserving the chord's character.