F Minor Guitar Chord (Fm)
Fm
| Name | F minor | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Notes | F | Ab | C |
| Intervals | Rroot | b3minor 3rd | 55th |
Root
Chord type
- Space Play
- Left arrowRight arrow Root
- Up arrowDown arrow Chord type
Shape
Tone
Dots show
Fm is a full barre chord at the 1st fret, the minor sibling of F. It's the E minor shape moved up one fret, with your 1st finger acting as the nut.
How to play the Fm chord
- Lay your 1st finger flat across the low E to high E strings at the 1st fret (a barre).
- Put your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (C).
- Put your 4th finger (pinky) on the 3rd fret of the D string (F).
- Strum from the low E string down.
TipOnly two fingers sit above the barre, so your 1st finger does most of the work. Keep it close to the fret wire and roll it slightly onto its side.
Easier versionEasy Fm (xx3111): play only the top four strings. 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the D string, 1st finger across the G, B and high E strings at the 1st fret.
5 ways to play Fm
Every shape below is a real Fm, checked note by note: F, Ab, C and nothing else. Easiest first, with the dark dot on the root.
F vs Fm: hear the difference
Only one note changes: Fm has Ab (the minor 3rd), F has A (the major 3rd). Play them back to back:
Fm
FAbC
Darker and sadder
F
FAC
Bright and settled
Chord progressions with Fm
Chords make sense once you move between them. Press play to hear each progression with the real recordings, one chord per bar, then play along. Tap any chord to open its page.
Practice changing to Fm
Switching chords cleanly is what makes a new chord usable in a song. Start the timer, then go back and forth between Fm and the chord you picked, strumming each one, and keep a count in your head. Your hands stay on the guitar the whole time. When it beeps, type in your count and try to beat it next time.
Fm to Db
60seconds
-last try
-your best
Songs that use Fm
- Don't Look Back in Anger by OasisPre-chorus F-Fm-C
- Space Oddity by David BowieVerse C-E7-F-Fm-C
- Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green DayHome chord, verse Fm-Ab-Eb-Bb
- All of Me by John LegendHome chord, verse Fm-Db-Ab-Eb
Learn it with a teacher
Diagrams show you where your fingers go. A teacher shows you how to make it sound good. Start with these video lessons from the Infinite Guitar library:
Mastering Bar Chords - Introduction
Free with an account · Chris Feener
Mastering Bar Chords - Locating the Root Notes
Free with an account · Chris Feener
The Minor Chord
Free with an account · Mike Edwin
Introduction To Guitar - Chords
Free with an account · Chris Feener
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Chords related to Fm
Chords that go with Fm
Other F chords
Other minor chords
Fm chord FAQ
What notes are in an Fm chord?
Fm has 3 notes: F (the root), Ab (the minor 3rd) and C (the 5th). Every Fm shape on the guitar is those notes in a different order.
What is the difference between F and Fm?
Only one note changes: Fm has Ab (the minor 3rd), F has A (the major 3rd). Use the player above to hear both.
Is Fm hard to play?
It's one of the harder ones, because the main shape uses a barre. Start with the easy 4-string version above, then work toward the main shape.
How do you play Fm as a barre chord?
Barre the 1st fret with your 1st finger (1-3-3-1-1-1). That shape is movable: slide it up or down and it plays a minor chord on every fret.
What key is Fm in?
It's the i chord in F minor, the vi chord in Ab major, the ii chord in Eb major and the iii chord in Db major.