F♯ minor chord on guitar (F♯m)

F♯m is F♯, A and C♯. The usual shape is 2-4-4-2-2-2, a barre at the 2nd fret. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

How to play F♯m on guitar

Shape 1, 2-4-4-2-2-2, reading from the low E string on the left, starts at the 2nd fret:

1. Lay your index finger flat across all the strings at the 2nd fret.
2. Middle finger: A string, 4th fret (C♯).
3. Ring finger: D string, 4th fret (F♯).

• Let your arm do some of the work: a slight pull back from the elbow presses the barre without squeezing the thumb.

Other ways to play F♯m

• x-x-4-2-2-2: movable shape at the 2nd fret, medium. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.
• x-9-11-11-10-9: barre shape at the 9th fret, medium. This is the open Am shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.
• x-9-7-6-7-x: movable shape at the 6th fret, medium. A small shape for quick changes and a lighter sound.

Playing F♯m with a capo

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open Em shape (0-2-2-0-0-0) or capo on the 4th fret and play the open Dm shape (x-x-0-2-3-1). The chord sounds as F♯m because the capo raises every string by 2 half steps.

Moving between F♯m and its neighbours

These are the changes you'll meet most often with F♯m, using the first shape of each chord.

• B (V in E major): F♯m (2-4-4-2-2-2) to B (x-2-4-4-4-2): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 2nd fret, the middle finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, the ring finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the pinky finger comes down on the B string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. F♯ carries over from one chord to the other. B on guitar
• A (IV in E major): F♯m (2-4-4-2-2-2) to A (x-0-2-2-2-0): your index finger lands on the D string, 2nd fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 2nd fret, move the ring finger to the B string, 2nd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Shared notes: A and C♯. A on guitar
• E (I in E major): F♯m (2-4-4-2-2-2) to E (0-2-2-1-0-0): the index finger goes to the G string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the D string, 2nd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. E on guitar

Minor chords sound shaded compared with major ones. A minor chord softens a progression. Try F♯m right after F♯ major to hear how much one note changes. On guitar you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

Practice F♯m in two minutes

Arpeggiate 2-4-4-2-2-2 from the lowest string: F♯, C♯, F♯, A, C♯, F♯. Then strum it and listen for the same 6 notes together. Finish by moving between 2-4-4-2-2-2 and x-x-4-2-2-2 to learn two positions of the same chord.

Written G♭m, it's the same chord with the same frets.

Where F♯m shows up

• ii in E major
• iii in D major
• vi in A major
• i in F♯ minor
• iv in C♯ minor
• v in B minor

In F♯ minor, i–VI–III–VII on guitar is F♯m (2-4-4-2-2-2), D (x-x-0-2-3-2), A (x-0-2-2-2-0) and E (0-2-2-1-0-0). About the minor anthem.

In F♯ minor, i–iv–V on guitar is F♯m (2-4-4-2-2-2), Bm (x-2-4-4-3-2) and C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4). About the minor cadence.

In F♯ minor, i–VII–VI–V on guitar is F♯m (2-4-4-2-2-2), E (0-2-2-1-0-0), D (x-x-0-2-3-2) and C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4). About the Andalusian cadence.

F♯m on piano and ukulele

F♯m on piano and ukulele uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Close to F♯m

• F♯
• F♯m7
• F♯m6
• F♯sus2
• F♯sus4
• F♯dim

Other minor chords

• Cm
• C♯m
• Dm
• E♭m
• Em
• Fm
• Gm
• G♯m
• Am
• B♭m
• Bm

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside F♯m. Updated September 2026. Print this chord