Explore chords · Guitar
F minor chord on guitar (Fm)
Also called or written Fm or Fmin
F minor contains F, A♭, and C, built from 1, ♭3, 5. The 1st fret full barre shape is a common hurdle for players moving beyond open chords.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5
- Root positionF–A♭–CFm1-3-3-1-1-1
- First inversionA♭–C–FFm/A♭4-3-3-5-×-×
- Second inversionC–F–A♭Fm/C×-3-3-1-1-1
How do you play an F minor chord on guitar?
F minor is played at the 1st fret as 1 3 3 1 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the A string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the D string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 4 | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
IntermediateThe hardest part is holding the full index barre across all six strings while the ring and pinky fingers fret the A and D strings at the 3rd fret.
8th fret
F minor is played at the 8th fret as × 8 10 10 9 8: barre your index finger across fret 8, ring finger on the D string at fret 10, pinky finger on the G string at fret 10 and middle finger on the B string at fret 9. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 3 | C (5) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 4 | F (1) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 2 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
13th fret
F minor is played at the 13th fret as 13 15 15 13 13 13: barre your index finger across fret 13, ring finger on the A string at fret 15 and pinky finger on the D string at fret 15.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 15 | 3 | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 15 | 4 | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
Fmin/A♭ inversion · fret 3
F minor is played at the 3rd fret as 4 3 3 5 × ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 4, index finger on the A string at fret 3, middle finger on the D string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 5. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 3 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 1 | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 2 | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 4 | C (5) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Fmin/A♭ inversion · fret 4
F minor is played at the 4th fret as × × 6 5 6 4: ring finger on the D string at fret 6, middle finger on the G string at fret 5, pinky finger on the B string at fret 6 and index finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 3 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 2 | C (5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 4 | F (1) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 1 | A♭ (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
F minor is built from the root F, a minor third A♭, and a perfect fifth C. The ♭3 interval is what separates it from F major, which raises that note to A. This single semitone change turns the chord from bright to dark.
What goes wrong with F minor?
- Letting the index barre lift off the high E string, which mutes the top note.
- Allowing the ring and pinky fingers to collapse and mute the adjacent strings.
- Pressing the barre too hard and causing the strings to buzz.
When to use it
F minor is the vi chord in A♭ major, so it appears in progressions like A♭–E♭–Fm–D♭ (I–V–vi–IV). It suits jazz, R&B, and any progression that needs a dark, brooding color. Pair it with A♭ major and D♭ major for the I–vi–IV–V loop.
Changing to and from F minor
- Slide the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret to play F♯ minor.
- Move to B♭ minor by shifting the barre to the 1st fret and changing the fretted notes to 3-3-2-1.
Which voicing to use
The 1st fret full barre shape gives the root F in the bass and is the standard voicing. The 8th fret barre repeats the same shape an octave higher, while the Fmin/A♭ inversion puts A♭ in the bass for a less stable sound.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F minor written?
F minor is written Fm, Fmin, F−, or Fmi. The root is F, and no enharmonic spelling is used.
What is the difference between F minor and F major?
F minor lowers the third from A to A♭. That single note changes the chord from major to minor and gives it a sadder quality.
Why is F minor considered a difficult barre chord?
F minor requires a full barre across all six strings at the 1st fret, which is the widest fret and demands the most finger strength. The ring and pinky fingers also stretch to the 3rd fret.
Can F minor be played without a barre?
Yes, the Fmin/A♭ inversion at the 3rd fret uses no barre. But it puts A♭ in the bass and is less common as a root-position chord.