Explore chords · Guitar
F♯ minor chord on guitar (F♯m)
Also called or written F♯m or F♯min
F♯ minor contains F♯, A, and C♯, built from 1, ♭3, 5. The 2nd fret full barre shape is a staple for rock and pop rhythm parts.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5
- Root positionF♯–A–C♯F♯m2-4-4-2-2-2
- First inversionA–C♯–F♯F♯m/A5-4-4-6-×-×
- Second inversionC♯–F♯–AF♯m/C♯×-4-4-2-2-2
How do you play an F♯ minor chord on guitar?
F♯ minor is played at the 2nd fret as 2 4 4 2 2 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, ring finger on the A string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the D string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 3 | C♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 4 | F♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 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 4th fret.
9th fret
F♯ minor is played at the 9th fret as × 9 11 11 10 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, ring finger on the D string at fret 11, pinky finger on the G string at fret 11 and middle finger on the B string at fret 10. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 3 | C♯ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 4 | F♯ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 2 | A (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
F♯min/A inversion · fret 4
F♯ minor is played at the 4th fret as 5 4 4 6 × ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 5, index finger on the A string at fret 4, middle finger on the D string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 6. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 3 | A (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 | C♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 2 | F♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 4 | C♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
F♯min/A inversion · fret 5
F♯ minor is played at the 5th fret as × × 7 6 7 5: ring finger on the D string at fret 7, middle finger on the G string at fret 6, pinky finger on the B string at fret 7 and index finger on the high e string at fret 5. 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) | 7 | 3 | A (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 2 | C♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 4 | F♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 1 | A (♭3) |
F♯min/A inversion · fret 10
F♯ minor is played at the 10th fret as × 12 11 11 10 ×: pinky finger on the A string at fret 12, middle finger on the D string at fret 11, ring finger on the G string at fret 11 and index finger on the B string at fret 10. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 4 | A (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 2 | C♯ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 3 | F♯ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 1 | A (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
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–F♯m–D (I–V–vi–IV). It suits rock, folk, and any progression that needs a minor lift. 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 3rd fret to play G minor.
- Move to A major by shifting the barre to the 2nd fret and changing the fretted notes to 4-4-2-2-2.
Which voicing to use
The 2nd fret full barre shape gives the root F♯ in the bass and is the standard voicing. The 9th fret barre repeats the same shape an octave higher, while the F♯min/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 F♯m, F♯min, F♯−, or F♯mi. The ASCII root is F#. It is also spelled G♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
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 2nd fret, which demands finger strength and precision. The ring and pinky fingers also stretch to the 4th fret.
Can F♯ minor be played without a barre?
Yes, the F♯min/A inversion at the 4th fret uses no barre. But it puts A in the bass and is less common as a root-position chord.