Chords in the Key of F Minor — Guitar Chord Chart

Guitar Chords in the Key of F Minor

The key of F minor has 4 flats, and its seven chords are Fm, Gdim, A♭, B♭m, Cm, D♭, E♭. Start with Fm, B♭m, Cm: they are the three a song in F minor cannot do without. Every diagram below plays when you press it.

The seven chords of F minor

One chord on each note of the scale, built from the scale’s own notes. Capital numerals are major chords, small ones minor, and ° is diminished.

iFm133111the home chord
ii°Gdimxx5323rare — a passing chord
IIIA♭466544the relative major
ivB♭mx13321the step away from home
vCmx35543the natural, gentler dominant
VID♭x46664bright against the minor home
VIIE♭xx1343a whole step under home

The three to learn first

Fm is home — the chord the song starts from and ends on. B♭m is the step away, and Cm is the one that pulls back home. On guitar they are 133111, x13321 and x35543: Fm with a barre at the 1st fret and two more fingers, B♭m with a barre at the 1st fret and three more fingers and Cm with a barre at the 3rd fret and three more fingers.

Progressions in F minor

The orders these chords are most often played in. Press play to hear each one strummed, a bar to a chord.

i – iv – V7Fm – B♭m – C7

The minor three-chord song, with the major dominant.

i – VI – III – VIIFm – D♭ – A♭ – E♭

The four-chord pop progression, started from its minor chord.

i – VII – VI – V7Fm – E♭ – D♭ – C7

The descending “Andalusian” line.

The sevenths

Four-note versions of the same chords. C7 is the one worth learning first: it is Cm with one note added, and it pulls toward Fm harder than the plain chord does.

V7C7x32310the major dominant, borrowed from the harmonic minor
i7Fm7131111home, softened
iv7B♭m7x13121the step away, softened

The scale behind the chords

F minor is the notes F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭. Every chord above uses only those seven notes (except C7, which raises the seventh), which is why they sound as if they belong together — and why a melody in F minor fits over any of them. Its relative major is A♭ major, which has the same notes and the same chords with a different home.

The nearest keys are a fifth either side: C minor and B♭ minor. Each shares six of this key’s seven notes, which is why songs change key to them so often.

Frequently asked questions

What chords are in the key of F minor?

Fm (i), Gdim (ii°), A♭ (III), B♭m (iv), Cm (v), D♭ (VI), E♭ (VII). They are the seven chords you get by stacking thirds on each note of the F minor scale — F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭ — using only notes of that scale. Songs in F minor also use C7, the major dominant, which borrows one note from outside it.

What are the three main chords in F minor?

Fm, B♭m and Cm — the chords on the first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. Fm is home, B♭m moves away from it and Cm pulls back. A great many songs use only these three.

What is the relative major of F minor?

A♭ major. The two keys share all seven notes and all seven chords, in a different order: what is III in F minor is the home chord of A♭ major. A song can move between them without any chord sounding out of place.

Is F minor an easy key on guitar?

6 of its six everyday chords — Fm, Gdim, A♭, B♭m, Cm and D♭ — need a barre or four fingers on guitar.

Strum them yourself

The playable guitar puts the chords of a key in a row: tap one to hold it, and drag across the strings.

Play the Virtual Guitar