F minor chord on piano (Fm)
Fm is F, A♭ and C. You'll find F just left of the group of three black keys (a white key). Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.
root position · F–A♭–C · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- F · A♭ · C
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5
How to play Fm on piano
Count keys (black and white) from F: 3 half steps up to A♭ then 4 half steps up to C. Press the 3 keys together and that's Fm.
- Right hand: 1 on F, 3 on A♭ and 5 on C.
- Left hand: 5 on F, 3 on A♭ and 1 on C.
- On the keyboard it's white, black and white keys, the same pattern as Cm and Gm, so your hand shape carries over.
Fm inversions
- root position: F–A♭–C. Right hand 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: A♭–C–F, with A♭ at the bottom. RH 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: C–F–A♭, with C at the bottom. Fingers 1-3-5.
Inversions keep the same notes and change which one is lowest. Moving between chords, pick the inversion that keeps your hand closest to where it already is.
Fm chord changes
The chords Fm usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.
- B♭ (V in E♭ major): Fm to B♭: play B♭ in 2nd inversion (F–B♭–D) and F stays under the same finger, while A♭ moves up to B♭ and C up to D. B♭ on piano
- A♭ (IV in E♭ major): Fm to A♭: play A♭ in 2nd inversion (E♭–A♭–C) and A♭ and C stay under the same fingers, while F moves down to E♭. A♭ on piano
- E♭ (I in E♭ major): Fm to E♭: play E♭ in root position (E♭–G–B♭), while F moves down to E♭, A♭ down to G and C down to B♭. E♭ on piano
Fm is a minor triad. A minor chord softens a progression. Try Fm right after F major to hear how much one note changes. The one-by-one button above makes that quality easy to hear.
A short Fm drill
Roll the chord up and back down, F, A♭, C, A♭, F, before playing it as a block. Finish with the inversions in order: F–A♭–C; A♭–C–F; C–F–A♭.
The keys of Fm
Fm is a minor chord, 1–♭3–5 from F. Root position, from the bottom: how Fm is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| A♭ | black key | RH 3 · LH 3 | minor third |
| C | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
Keys and progressions with Fm
In F minor, i–VI–III–VII on piano is Fm (F–A♭–C), C♯ (C♯–E♯–G♯), A♭ (A♭–C–E♭) and E♭ (E♭–G–B♭). About the minor anthem.
In F minor, i–iv–V on piano is Fm (F–A♭–C), B♭m (B♭–D♭–F) and C (C–E–G). About the minor cadence.
In F minor, i–VII–VI–V on piano is Fm (F–A♭–C), E♭ (E♭–G–B♭), C♯ (C♯–E♯–G♯) and C (C–E–G). About the Andalusian cadence.
Fm on guitar and ukulele
Switching instruments? Try Fm on ukulele or Fm on guitar, or compare them on the Fm chord page.
Close to Fm
Other minor chords
Fm on piano: questions
What notes are in Fm on piano?
F, A♭ and C: F (white key), A♭ (black key) and C (white key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play Fm on piano?
Press F, A♭ and C together (1 black, 2 white). Right hand: 1 on F, 3 on A♭ and 5 on C.
What are the inversions of Fm?
1st inversion (A♭–C–F) and 2nd inversion (C–F–A♭), after root position (F–A♭–C). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does Fm look like on the keyboard?
white, black and white keys, the same pattern as Cm and Gm, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Every shape above plays only F, A♭ and C, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.