Chords in every key · 4 flats
Chords in the key of F minor
The seven chords in F minor are Fm, G°, A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭ and E♭. F minor has four flats: B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭.
The seven chords
Play the chords of F minor
Tap a chord to hear it. The A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. is its place in the key; the colour is its job: home, moving away, or pulling back home.
None of the chords in F minor has an A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em., so you play them as A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck., or put a A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. on and use open shapes from an easier key.
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
Key signature and scale
The F minor scale
F minor has four flats: B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭.
- F1
- G2
- A♭♭3
- B♭4
- C5
- D♭♭6
- E♭♭7
- F, the tonic
- Other scale notes
Progressions
Common chord progressions in F minor
The same patterns of A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. turn up in thousands of songs. Here they are in this key, ready to play.
Minor pop
i – VI – III – VII
- Fm
- D♭
- A♭
- E♭
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Minor pop in every keyAndalusian cadence
i – VII – VI – V
- Fm
- 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
Andalusian cadence in every keyMinor ii–V–i
iiø7 – V7 – i7
- Gm7♭5
- C7
- Fm7
Half-diminished ii, dominant V7 and back to the minor tonic.
Heard in Blue Bossa, Autumn Leaves
Minor ii–V–i in every key
Related keys
Keys close to F minor
Keys that share most of their notes sound natural side by side, which is why songs so often move between them.
- Relative major: same notesA♭ majorA♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭, E♭, Fm and G°
- Parallel major: same tonicF majorF, Gm, Am, B♭, C, Dm and E°
- One step anticlockwiseB♭ minorB♭m, C°, D♭, E♭m, Fm, G♭ and A♭
- One step clockwiseC minorCm, D°, E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭ and B♭
Capo
Play F minor with a capo
F minor's main chords are Fm, B♭m, Cm and D♭. With the A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. on The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 1, play them as Em, Am, Bm and C: three of the four are A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em..
Questions
F minor, in short
- What chords are in the key of F minor?
- The seven chords in F minor are Fm, G°, A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭ and E♭. F minor has four flats: B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭.
- What is the relative major of F minor?
- A♭ major. It uses the same seven notes and the same The sharps or flats written at the start of each line of music, telling you which notes the key changes. as F minor, so the two keys share all their chords.
- How many flats are in F minor?
- F minor has four flats: B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭.
- Which keys are next to F minor on the circle of fifths?
- B♭ minor (one step anticlockwise) and C minor (one step clockwise). Their chords overlap most with F minor's, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.