In this post, I’d like to focus on the Fm chord.
Why particularly this guitar chord you ask?
In my experience, it’s a gateway that opens up your guitar-playing world to man possibilities.
Ideally, one would learn the F Major Chord and then move on to the F minor chord.
The shape on the F major chord is a challenging one to play for beginners who are not used to its fingering positions on the guitar.
F minor is a little bit easier and once you visualize its shape, you can move it up the guitar neck at ease to play other chords.
The F minor chord is most commonly used in rock music, however, it has been popping up in other genres as well.
Playing the F minor Chord
Let’s take a look at the different ways that one can play an F minor chord on the guitar.
Fm Chord – Open
When first learning the Fm chord, this is going to be the first way suggested to play it. This is what’s known as the chord’s open position.
Here is the fingering positioning:
- 1st fret of the E (3rd) string – index
- 1st fret of the B (2nd) string – index
- 1st fret of the G (1st) string – index
- 3rd fret of the D (4th) string – ring
The challenge will be that your first finger will need to go over all three of the notes outlined above on the first fret. The third finger (ring) will then need to stretch out two fret lengths for the D string.
The image below will help you visualize the way the chord will need to be played.
F Minor Chord – Barre
If you aren’t familiar with Barre chords, then head over to our article right here: Barre Chords Explained.
Like the open version of the F minor, the barre chord will take some more work since you are using your index finger to barre the whole first fret on your guitar.
Here is the fingering positioning for this guitar chord:
- 1st fret of the E (3rd) string – index
- 1st fret of the B (2nd) string – index
- 1st fret of the G (1st) string – index
- 3rd fret of the D (4th) string – pinky
- 3rd fret of the A (5th) string – ring
- 1st fret of the E (6th) string – index
The key with this Fm chord version is working up to the strength needed on your index finger to hold down the strings as outlined in the picture below.
Fm Chord – 4th Fret
If you are feeling adventurous, then you can try the F minor on the 4th fret. This shape is similar to a D minor chord.
So if you are familiar with that shape, then playing this version of the chord should not be overly difficult.
Here is the fingering positioning for this guitar chord:
- 4th fret of the E (1st) string – index
- 5th fret of the B (2nd) string – middle
- 6th fret of the G (3rd) string – ring
F minor Chord – 8th Fret Barre
This version of the Fm chord will bring us to the 8th fret and it’s another barre chord.
Here is the fingering positioning to play this chord:
- 8th fret of the E (3rd) string – index
- 9th fret of the B (2nd) string – middle
- 10th fret of the G (1st) string – pinky
- 10th fret of the D (4th) string – ring
- 8th fret of the A (5th) string – index
Like the barre chord on the first fret, this will require the index finger to hold down the fort so to speak.
The tricky thing will be the middle, pinky, and ring fingers to ensure the notes are clear when played.
What Notes Make up the Fm Chord?
The Fm chord is composed of three notes (triad) that give it that signature sound.
Those notes are F, Ab, and C.
Conclusion
The F minor chord is one that can be used in a wide range of music genres.
It can be challenging to learn once you get the hang of its shapes and can be played in a number of positions on the guitar neck.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article on the F minor chord.
If you have any questions, let us know, and remember to always have fun!
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