F#m Chord on the Guitar (F Sharp Minor) – 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (2024)

The F sharp minor chord is enharmonically the same as the G flat minor chord. Out of the two chord names,F#mgets used far more often, because of the common keys that it is used in. For example,F#mis the relative minor of A Major, which is a very popular chord and key on the guitar.

The A note (flat 3rd) inF#mcan technically be played on an open string, but the chord itself is basically never played as an open chord, because the open A string is in a low register and sounds muddy when played with the lower F# root note. Instead, theF#mchord is often played as a bar chord on the 2ndfret (root 6) or 9thfret (root 5).

Some Quick F#m Chord Theory

  • The F sharp minor chord contains the notes F#, A and C#.
  • The F#m chord is produced by playing the 1st (root), flat 3rd and 5th notes of the F# Major scale.
  • The F# minor chord (just like all minor chords) contains the following intervals (from the root note): minor 3rd, Major 3rd, Perfect 4th (back to the root note).
  • F# minor is the relative minor of A Major.
  • F#m is the first chord in the key of F sharp minor. The seven chords in the key of F# minor are: F#m, G# diminished, A+, Bm, C#, D, E# diminished

10 Ways To Play The F Sharp Minor Chord

If you’ve come to this page just to view some chord diagrams for F#m, here they are.

F#m Chord on the Guitar (F Sharp Minor) – 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (1)

Standard F#m Chord Shape

The most common way to play the F#m chord is by playing the root-6 minor chord, starting on the second fret. This is essentially the standard F minor barre chord, but moved up one fret.

Easy F#m Chord Shape

The ‘easy’ or ‘mini’ version of the F sharp minor chord can be achieved by playing the first three strings of the guitar, all on the second fret. By playing the easy version of the chord, it makes it possible to use the chord in songs, without needing to perfect the more difficult barre chord version.

F#m Chord on the Guitar (F Sharp Minor) – 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (3)

How to Play the F Sharp Minor Chord (Step by Step)

  • Place your first finger on the second fret of the sixth string and barre all six strings.
  • Place your third finger on the fourth fret of the fifth string.
  • Place your fourth finger on the fourth fret of the fourth string.
  • Strum all six strings.

The instructions above are step by step instructions for playing the common F# minor chord shape. Forming the chord through step by step instructions is a great way of ensuring that you are interpreting the chord diagram correctly.

F# Minor Barre Chord Shapes

The F#m chord can be played as a barre chord by playing a root 6 barre chord shape and starting on the 2nd fret or by playing a root 5 barre chord Major shape and starting on the 9th fret:

F# Minor Triads

Playing triads is a great way of exploring the minor chord and the guitar fretboard more generally. By arranging the notes of the chord systematically using permutations (root position, first inversion, second inversion), interesting and unique shapes and voicings are created. The three different voicings for the F sharp minor triad are:

  • F# minor Triad (Root Position) – F#, A, C#
  • F# minor Triad (1st Inversion) – A, C#, F#
  • F# minor Triad (2nd Inversion) – C#, F#, A

By playing these triads on two different groups of three strings, we can produce six different shapes.

F#m Chord on the Guitar (F Sharp Minor) – 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (5)

Which Keys Have The F#m chord in Them?

The F#m chord can be found in the following keys:

  • The key of F# minor (F#m, G#dim, A, Bm, C#m, D, E)
  • The key of B minor (Bm, C#dim, D, Em, F#m, G, A)
  • The key of C# minor (C#, D#dim, E, F#m, G#m, A, B)
  • The key of A Major (A, Bm, C#m, D, E, F#m, G#dim)
  • The key of D Major (D, Em, F#m, G, A, Bm, C#dim)
  • The key of E Major (E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C#m, D#dim)

Alternative But Useful F#m Chord Shapes

The following shapes are alternative ways of playing the F sharp minor chord shape. They’re not the most common F#m shapes, but used enough to include here as interesting alternatives.

F#m Chord on the Guitar (F Sharp Minor) – 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (6)

F#m Chord Substitutions

Most F# minor chords with extensions can be used as a substitute for the Gb minor chord. For example, F#m9, F#m11 and F#m6 can often be used to add colour and emotion to the F# minor chord.

The F#m7 chord is quite often used interchangeably with the F#m chord.

For more interesting substitutions, playing variations of the A chord (which is the relative Major of F sharp minor), such as A6, A69, Amaj9 etc. can be used effectively as a substitute for the F# minor chord.

Which Scales Can Be Played Over the F# Minor Chord?

The most common and effective scales that can be used to solo/improvise over the F# minor chord, or to create melodies for the purposes of song writing are:

  • F#m natural minor scale – This scale (also called F# aeolian) is the most commonly used scale for this chord.
  • F# minor pentatonic scale – This is probably the easiest scale to learn and get started on when improvising over the F# minor chord.
  • F# minor blues scale – This scale can be used over the F#m chord to add a Blues flavour.
  • F# dorian mode – This scale can be used to add a slightly brighter sound to the F# minor chord.
  • F# phrygian mode – This scale can be used to add a darker sound to the F# minor chord.

Further Reading

  • F# natural minor scale
  • F# harmonic minor scale
  • How minor chords work
  • Chords page
  • F# minor arpeggio
  • F#m7 Chord
  • F#m/A chord
  • F#m/C# chord

F#m Chord on the Guitar (F Sharp Minor) – 10 Ways to Play (and Some Tips/Theory) (2024)

FAQs

What is the alternative to the F sharp minor chord on a guitar? ›

Some common substitutions might include extending the chord. So instead of F#m, you play F#m7 or F#m9.

Why is the F chord so hard to play on the guitar? ›

The F major chord is a particularly challenging chord to play on the guitar because it requires you to make a bar or mini-bar (we'll get into this later), which makes it hard to execute cleanly. In this guide, we'll be tackling the dreaded F major from just about every angle so you can master this unruly chord.

What does F# look like on guitar? ›

The most common F# chord

Start by making a barre across the all six strings by placing the edge of your first finger flat against the strings, just behind the second fret. Then, take your other three fingers and place them in front of them, in that same E major shape in front of them.

Is there an easier way to play F chord on guitar? ›

Move your middle finger up one string to the 3rd string (still 2nd fret), and place your pinky on the 3rd fret of the 4th string. That's the easy F chord. Keep your first and third fingers in place during the chord change.

What is in key with F# minor? ›

The notes of the F# Minor scale are F# G# A B C# D E. It's key signature has 3 sharps. Press play to listen to the scale. Click the virtual piano or the notation to hear each note.

What is the most annoying chord on the guitar? ›

Commonly Annoying Chords:

One notorious culprit is the barre chord, which involves using one finger to press down multiple strings across the guitar neck. Additionally, the F major chord, known for its challenging finger placement, often causes frustration.

What is the hardest chord to play on guitar? ›

The six-string F chord is one of the hardest standard chord shape to play on the guitar. When many people try to play the F chord on guitar (and often succeed), it's with far too much struggle and effort than is actually necessary. Even extremely influential guitarists can have a hard time with barre chords.

Why are some guitars harder to play? ›

Electric guitars typically have lighter gauge strings and lower action, which makes them easier to play in terms of finger pressure and fretting notes. Acoustic guitars, on the other hand, have heavier gauge strings and higher action, requiring more finger strength and pressure to produce clear and resonant notes.

What is the chord of F sharp minor? ›

F♯ Minor. The F♯ minor chord is a triad formed from a root (F♯), a minor third (A) and a perfect fifth (C♯).

How do you pronounce the f/m chord? ›

Whenever you see a '#' in music. Pronounce it like this: 'sharp'. So for the F# minor chord. You would pronounce it like this: 'F sharp minor chord'.

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