Root position
F – Ab – CThe root F is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.
3 notes · 1 · ♭3 · 5
F Minor Piano Chord (Fm)
F minor is built from F, Ab and C — the formula 1 · ♭3 · 5, or 3 and 7 semitones above F. The shape uses 2 white and 1 black key, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.
Chord
F Minor
Notes
F · G# · CFormula
1 · ♭3 · 5Right hand
1 · 3 · 5C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
C#
D#
F#
G#
A#
Choose a chord, then play it. Finger numbers run from thumb (1) to little finger (5).
The finder above already holds Fm. Press P or the Play chord button to hear F, Ab, C sounded together, then change the root or the chord type to compare it with something else.
Chord tones
The notes in F minor
A minor triad reverses the major arrangement: a minor third first, then a major third. Only the middle note moves, yet the chord sounds noticeably darker and more inward. Minor triads sit on the second, third and sixth degrees of a major scale, and on the first degree of a minor key.
| Note | Interval | Degree | Semitones | Right hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fwhite key | Root | 1 | 0 | 1 · thumb |
| Abblack key | Minor third | ♭3 | 3 | 3 · middle finger |
| Cwhite key | Perfect fifth | 5 | 7 | 5 · little finger |
Step by step
How to play F minor on piano
- Find F: it is the white key immediately left of every group of three black keys.
- Build upwards from F using 3 and 7 semitones to reach Ab and C.
- With the right hand, place finger 1 on F, finger 3 on Ab and finger 5 on C. Keep the wrist level and the knuckles rounded.
- Move your hand a little further in towards the fallboard so the black key sits comfortably under your fingers.
- Play the notes together, then one at a time from the bottom up, and listen to how F minor settles.
- Try first inversion as well: Ab – C – F. Inversions let you change chords without jumping around the keyboard.
Inversions
F minor in 3 positions
An inversion keeps the same 3 notes and simply moves the lowest one up an octave. Learning them means you can change chords with small hand movements instead of jumping to a new part of the keyboard.
First inversion
Ab – C – FAb is the lowest note, so the minor third sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Second inversion
C – F – AbC is the lowest note, so the perfect fifth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
In context
Which keys contain F minor
In D♭ major the chord functions as iii. Altogether it is produced by the scales of 6 keys, so learning it once pays off in several places.
- D♭ majoriii
- E♭ majorii
- A♭ majorvi
- C minoriv
- F minori
- B♭ minorv
Chord tones are spelled by the degree they occupy, so the third of a minor chord is written as a flat rather than a sharp even though it is the same key on the piano. A double sharp such as F## means the key one whole tone above F.
Compare
F minor against F major
F minor and F major share F and C. Moving the major third A down 1 semitone to the minor third Ab turns F major into F minor.
Practise the pair together: hold the shared notes F, C still and move only the one finger. Hearing that single change is the quickest way to recognise the two chords by ear.
Open F major →Good questions
F minor questions
What notes are in the F minor chord?
F minor contains F, Ab and C. Counted from the root, that is the formula 1 · ♭3 · 5, or 3 and 7 semitones above F.
What is the right-hand fingering for F minor?
A comfortable beginner fingering is 1 (thumb) on F, 3 (middle finger) on Ab and 5 (little finger) on C. Finger numbers run from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5), and they change once you start using inversions.
How is F minor different from F major?
F minor and F major share F and C. Moving the major third A down 1 semitone to the minor third Ab turns F major into F minor.
Which keys use the F minor chord?
It occurs naturally in D♭ major (iii), E♭ major (ii), A♭ major (vi), C minor (iv), F minor (i) and B♭ minor (v). The roman numeral shows which degree of the key the chord is built on.
What are the inversions of F minor?
root position is F – Ab – C, first inversion is Ab – C – F and second inversion is C – F – Ab. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.