F minor chord on guitar (Fm)

Fm is F, A♭ and C. The usual shape is 1-3-3-1-1-1, a barre at the 1st fret. Hit Play and watch each string light as it sounds.

1-3-3-1-1-1 · barre · hard

Notes: F · A♭ · C
Formula: 1 · ♭3 · 5
First shape: 1-3-3-1-1-1

How to play Fm on guitar

Shape 1, 1-3-3-1-1-1, reading from the low E string on the left:

Lay your index finger flat across all the strings at the 1st fret.
Middle finger: A string, 3rd fret (C).
Ring finger: D string, 3rd fret (F).

A barre at the 1st fret is the hardest place to press. Pull your elbow in slightly and roll the index finger onto its bony edge; it takes less force than pressing harder.

Other ways to play Fm

x-x-3-1-1-1: movable shape, medium. Fewer strings, so it sounds lighter and is quicker to change to.
13-15-15-13-13-13: barre shape at the 13th fret, medium. The root is on the low E string, so you can slide this shape to play any minor chord.
x-8-10-10-9-8: barre shape at the 8th fret, medium. Root on the 5th string, so it pairs well with the 6th-string shape a few frets away.

Fm the capo way

A capo turns an open chord into Fm: capo on the 1st fret and play the open Em shape (0-2-2-0-0-0) or capo on the 3rd fret and play the open Dm shape (x-x-0-2-3-1). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

Moving between Fm and its neighbours

Songs rarely hold Fm for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

B♭ (V in E♭ major): Fm (1-3-3-1-1-1) to B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st 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, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Shared note: F. B♭ on guitar
A♭ (IV in E♭ major): Fm (1-3-3-1-1-1) to A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 5th fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 6th fret, the pinky finger comes down on the D string, 6th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for A♭ and C, which stay put while the rest moves. A♭ on guitar
E♭ (I in E♭ major): Fm (1-3-3-1-1-1) to E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3): your index finger lands on the D string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the high E string, 3rd 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. E♭ on guitar

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 slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.

Practice Fm in two minutes

Before strumming, play 1-3-3-1-1-1 note by note: F then C then F then A♭ then C then F. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate 1-3-3-1-1-1 and x-x-3-1-1-1, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

Keys and progressions with Fm

In F minor, i–VI–III–VII on guitar is Fm (1-3-3-1-1-1), C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4), A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4) and E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3). About the minor anthem.

In F minor, i–iv–V on guitar is Fm (1-3-3-1-1-1), B♭m (x-1-3-3-2-1) and C (x-3-2-0-1-0). About the minor cadence.

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

Fm on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try Fm on ukulele or Fm on piano, or compare them on the Fm chord page.

Related F chords on guitar

Other minor chords

Fm on guitar: questions

What notes are in Fm on guitar?

F, A♭ and C. In the 1-3-3-1-1-1 shape the strings play F (low E string), C (A string), F (D string), A♭ (G string), C (B string) and F (high E string), so F and C are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Fm on guitar?

No open-string Fm exists in standard tuning; x-x-3-1-1-1 is the place to start. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and a capo is worth trying when the song allows.

Is Fm a barre chord on guitar?

In its standard form, yes. 1-3-3-1-1-1 has your index finger across the 1st fret. If that's hard, try x-x-3-1-1-1.

Which string does Fm start on?

In the 1-3-3-1-1-1 shape the lowest string you play is the low E string at the 1st fret, which is F, the root.

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside Fm. Updated September 2026.