F Minor
Fm
Notes
F · A♭ · C
Intervals
- RootF (1P)
- Minor 3rdA♭ (3m)
- Perfect 5thC (5P)
Fretboard
Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.
Voicings & shapes
CAGED shapes (3)
Triad inversions (9)
Spread / open triads (8)
About
The F minor triad (F–A♭–C) lowers the third by a half step, introducing a darker, more inward quality. It functions as the tonic of F minor or as ii in E♭ major. The A♭ is the defining tone — it is what separates minor from major and from any sus chord that omits the third entirely. On guitar, the fifth can be omitted or doubled freely; root and ♭3 together are sufficient to establish the minor sound. Minor chords commonly precede dominants (Fm7→B♭7→E♭Maj7 as ii–V–I) or move within minor diatonic harmony. Compared to Fdim, minor is stable due to its perfect fifth; compared to F, it carries a more subdued, reflective quality.
Chord diagrams
F Minor voicing charts — tap a sheet to open it full size to save or print.
Similar chords
Chords sharing two or more notes with this one, ranked by overlap.
Scales containing this chord
- F Blues (deg 1)
- F Dorian (I)
- F Harmonic Minor (I)
- F Melodic Minor (I)
- F Minor Pentatonic (deg 1)
- F Natural Minor (I)
- F Phrygian (I)
- A Diminished (deg 6)
- A Harmonic Minor (VI)
- A♭ Lydian (VI)
- A♭ Major (VI)
- A♭ Major Pentatonic (deg 5)
- A♭ Mixolydian (VI)
- B♭ Dorian (V)
- B♭ Mixolydian (V)
- B♭ Natural Minor (V)
- C Diminished (deg 4)
- C Harmonic Minor (IV)
- C Locrian (IV)
- C Natural Minor (IV)
- C Phrygian (IV)
- D Blues (deg 2)
- D Locrian (III)
- D♭ Lydian (III)
- D♭ Major (III)
- E♭ Diminished (deg 2)
- E♭ Dorian (II)
- E♭ Major (II)
- E♭ Melodic Minor (II)
- E♭ Mixolydian (II)
- F♯ Diminished (deg 8)
- F♯ Lydian (VII)
- G Locrian (VII)
- G Phrygian (VII)
Scales whose notes include every chord tone. The Roman numeral (or scale degree) marks the chord root’s position in the scale.