Guitar chords · Minor
F♯m chord on guitar (F#m)
F♯m (F♯ minor) has three notes: F♯, A and C♯, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., ♭3 and 5.
Shapes
How to play F♯m
Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.; the other numbers are the chord tones.
F♯m has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the E shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 2 or the A shape at fret 9. A A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major. keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., on the lowest played string, names the chord.
E shape · fret 2
A shape · fret 9
Notes and formula
What makes F♯m minor
A minor chord lowers the 3rd of the major chord by a The smallest distance in Western music: one fret on the guitar, such as E to F or F to F♯.. That one note gives it its darker, sadder colour.
- 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
- 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
- 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.
The ♭3rd makes F♯m a minor chord; you can leave out the 5th.
- F♯Rroot
- A♭3essential
- C♯5optional
- F♯, the root
- Other chord tones
F♯m and G♭m are the same chord with two names: same The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step., same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.
Keys
Keys with F♯m
F♯m belongs to six keys: D major (iii), A major (vi), E major (ii), B minor (v), F♯ minor (i) and C♯ minor (iv).
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Progressions
Progressions with F♯m
Common progressions that use F♯m, each in a key that spells it F♯m. The outlined chord is F♯m.
The pop axis in A major
I – V – vi – IV
- A
- E
- F♯m
- D
Four chords that carry a huge share of modern pop. All four sit next to each other on the circle.
Heard in Let It Be, No Woman No Cry, With or Without You
'50s doo-wop in A major
I – vi – IV – V
- A
- F♯m
- D
- E
The vi chord softens the move from I to IV before the V pulls back home.
Heard in Stand by Me, Every Breath You Take
Minor pop in F♯ minor
i – VI – III – VII
- F♯m
- D
- A
- E
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Andalusian cadence in F♯ minor
i – VII – VI – V
- F♯m
- E
- D
- C♯
A stepwise walk down to a major V borrowed from harmonic minor. Flamenco's signature move.
Heard in Hit the Road Jack, Runaway, Stray Cat Strut
Slash chords
F♯m over another bass note
A A chord with a different note in the bass, written after a slash: C/E is a C chord with E as its lowest note. The letter after the slash is the bass. keeps F♯m on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.
- F♯m/A
F♯m with its ♭3rd, A, in the bass: the first inversion.
- F♯m/C♯
F♯m with its 5th, C♯, in the bass: the second inversion.
- F♯m/E
F♯m over E, a passing bass a Two half steps, or two frets on the guitar, such as C to D. below the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in F♯m, F♯m/E, F♯m/D♯, D.
- F♯m/D♯
F♯m over D♯, a passing bass a major 6th above the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in F♯m, F♯m/E, F♯m/D♯, D.
Same root
Other chords on F♯ / G♭
Change one or two notes and the same The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. gives a different colour. Compare them by ear.
- F♯ major
- F♯7 dominant 7th
- F♯maj7 major 7th
- F♯m7 minor 7th
- F♯sus2 suspended 2nd
- F♯sus4 suspended 4th
- F♯6 major 6th
- F♯m6 minor 6th
- F♯add9 add 9
- F♯9 dominant 9th
- F♯maj9 major 9th
- F♯m9 minor 9th
- F♯13 dominant 13th
- F♯maj13 major 13th
- F♯m11 minor 11th
- F♯° diminished
- F♯m7♭5 half-diminished 7th
- F♯°7 diminished 7th
- G♭+ augmented
- F♯5 power chord
- F♯7sus4 dominant 7th suspended 4th
- F♯m(maj7) minor major 7th
- F♯6/9 six-nine
- F♯m(add9) minor add 9
- F♯7♯9 dominant 7th sharp 9th
Questions
F♯m, in short
- What notes are in the F♯m chord?
- F♯m (F♯ minor) has three notes: F♯, A and C♯, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., ♭3 and 5.
- How do you play F♯m on guitar?
- F♯m has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the E shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 2 or the A shape at fret 9.
- What key is F♯m in?
- F♯m belongs to six keys: D major (iii), A major (vi), E major (ii), B minor (v), F♯ minor (i) and C♯ minor (iv).
- Is F♯m the same as G♭m?
- Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. F♯m is the spelling in D major, A major, E major, B minor, F♯ minor and C♯ minor. No key on the circle spells it G♭m, so you will rarely see that name.