Fm Guitar Chord: 2 Easy Ways to Play It and More

The Fm chord is comprised of the notes F, Ab, and C

In terms of intervals, it has a root, a minor 3rd, and a perfect 5th

It can also be named or notated as Fm, F-, Fmin, or F minor.

If you are just starting out on guitar or need a refresher on this chord, stick around.

In this article, I will show you the easiest ways of playing this chord on guitar, and give you some tips and tricks to make it work out as it should.

After leaving this page you will have learned the must-know shapes of this triad, and also a lot about how it works in context with other chords.

Hey, I will even give you a fretboard diagram so you can work out your own voicing!

Let’s get to it.

Basic shape

I know, barre chords suck.

This is probably the first version of this chord you will see in the wild, and this is one that has a nice ring to it.

The secret to playing the basic shape Fm chord is learning how much pressure you need to put on the barre to make the notes ring without your hand getting tired.

Something important to know is that you only need to fret the 6th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings with your 1 finger properly since the 5th and 4th strings are fretted in front of the bar.

So, no need for extra work where it’s not needed.

Also, since your 2nd finger will be free with this shape, you can use it on top of your index finger to add some strength to the bar.

Here are some extra tips for getting it sounding right:

• Fret with the tip of your fingers
• Press the strings near the fret wire
• Learn how much pressure is the minimum required
• Have the thumb from your fretting hand at the middle or lower back part of the neck
• Arch your fingers
• If it hurts, take a break!

Fm Guitar Chord: 6 Easy Ways of Playing It and More

2 easy ways of playing the Fm chord

If the bar from the basic version is driving you nuts, go for some of these alternatives.

As you could see, these are the same shape, but with fewer notes being fretted.

The chord will work out the same, but its sound might be a bit lacking.

However, this is a great starting point for building muscle, and being able to play songs where this chord is needed.

There are no open voicings of the Fm chord

Since the F chord has no notes from those of the open strings of the guitar in its standard tuning, there are no ways of playing it in what’s called an open voicing.

For doing so you will need to use a capo, for instance in the first fret, and then just play an Em chord on its basic shape.

This is very common in a lot of songs.

Moveable voicings of the Fm chord

Apart from the basic shape, here are other movable voicings for the Fm chord.

As their name implies, these moveable voicings can be shifted along the neck getting you different chords of the same quality.

The root note of the chord, for these voicings, as you can see,  is defined by the lowest note played.

The last one with the barre is a very common shape you will probably end up using a lot through your guitar journey.

To make it sound right, again, focus mainly on fretting properly the 5th and 1st strings since the ones in between are taken care of by your other fingers.

Fm chord fretboard map

You can use this fretboard map to come up with your own chord voicings.

Just remember that you will need at least one of each chord note for it to be outlined properly.

Songs to practice the Fm chord

Ed Sheeran – Don’t

Ed Sheeran – Perfect

Weather Girls – It’s Raining Men

Scales and modes that have the Fm chord, and their chords

The following scales and modes have this chord inside them.

This means that it will “fit” among their other chords, however, given the context, the feeling that it gives will be shifted.

In some of these scales it will sound like a resting point, and in others more like a tension agent.

F minor scale chords, Fm is i

i	iiº	III	iv	v	VI	VII
Fm	Gdim	Ab	Bbm	Cm	Db	Eb

Eb major scale chords, Fm is ii

I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	viiº
Eb	Fm	Gm	Ab	Bb	Cm	Ddim

Db major scale chords, Fm is iii

I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	viiº
Db	Ebm	Fm	Gb	Ab	Bb	Cdim

C minor scale chords, Fm is iv

i	iiº	III	iv	v	VI	VII
Cm	Ddim	Eb	Fm	Gm	Ab	Bb

Bb minor scale chords, Fm is v

i	iiº	III	iv	v	VI	VII
Bbm	Cdim	Db	Ebm	Fm	Gb	Ab

Ab major scale chords, Fm is vi

I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	viiº
Ab	Bbm	Cm	Db	Eb	Fm	Gdim

G Phrygian scale chords, Fm is vii

i	II	III	iv	vº	VI	vii
Gm	Ab	Bb	Cm	Ddim	Eb	Fm

Inversions of the Fm chord

The inversions of a chord are just a different order for the notes that comprise them.

They are notated with a / before the indication of the note that should be used as the bass.

Triad chords have, naturally 2 inversions.

Fm inversions are:

• Fm/Ab
• Fm/C

Extensions of the Fm chord

Extensions are extra notes you can add to the chord to spice it up.

To know exactly which notes you can use you will have to check the key and scale you are playing in.

Some of the most common extensions of the Fm chord are:

• Fm6
• Fm7
• Fm9
• Fm11