F♯ minor chord on piano (F♯m)
F♯m is F♯, A and C♯. F♯ sits on the first black key of the group of three. Tap Play, then slow it down.
root position · F♯–A–C♯ · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- F♯ · A · C♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5
How to play F♯m on piano
Start on F♯, count 3 half steps up to A then 4 half steps up to C♯. Press the 3 keys together and that's F♯m.
- 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 black, white and black keys, the same pattern as C♯m and G♯m, so your hand shape carries over.
F♯m inversions
- root position: F♯–A–C♯. RH 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: A–C♯–F♯, with A at the bottom. Right hand 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: C♯–F♯–A, with C♯ at the bottom. Fingers 1-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let F♯m sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Changing from F♯m to the chords around it
The chords F♯m usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.
- B (V in E major): F♯m 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): F♯m 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): F♯m 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
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. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
A short F♯m drill
Start with a broken chord, F♯ A C♯ A F♯, then play it solid. Finish with the inversions in order: F♯–A–C♯; A–C♯–F♯; C♯–F♯–A.
The keys of F♯m
F♯m is a minor chord, 1–♭3–5 from F♯. Root position, from the bottom: how F♯m is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| F♯ | black key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| A | white key | RH 3 · LH 3 | minor third |
| C♯ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
You may also see it as G♭m; nothing changes on the piano.
F♯m in context
In F♯ minor, i–VI–III–VII on piano is F♯m (F♯–A–C♯), D (D–F♯–A), A (A–C♯–E) and E (E–G♯–B). About the minor anthem.
In F♯ minor, i–iv–V on piano is F♯m (F♯–A–C♯), Bm (B–D–F♯) and C♯ (C♯–E♯–G♯). About the minor cadence.
In F♯ minor, i–VII–VI–V on piano is F♯m (F♯–A–C♯), E (E–G♯–B), D (D–F♯–A) and C♯ (C♯–E♯–G♯). About the Andalusian cadence.
F♯m on guitar and ukulele
F♯m on guitar and ukulele uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Close to F♯m
Other minor chords
F♯m on piano: questions
What notes are in F♯m on piano?
F♯, A and C♯: F♯ (black key), A (white key) and C♯ (black key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play F♯m on piano?
Press F♯, A and C♯ together (2 black, 1 white). Right hand: 1 on F♯, 3 on A and 5 on C♯.
What are the inversions of F♯m?
1st inversion (A–C♯–F♯) and 2nd inversion (C♯–F♯–A), after root position (F♯–A–C♯). Same notes, a different one at the bottom.
What does F♯m look like on the keyboard?
black, white and black keys, the same pattern as C♯m and G♯m, 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.