What is the F Minor Chord?
The F minor chord is formed from the first, the third and the fifth notes of the F minor scale.
F minor chords are similar to F major chords, except that the third is lowered a half-step. Lowering the third makes the chord sound "sad" or "dark" instead of happy. You'll need to know how to play minor chords in order to play many of your favorite songs. The notes of the F minor chord, from lowest to highest, are F, Ab and C.
How to Play an F Minor Chord on Piano
Pianist Lindsey explains how to play an F Minor chord on the piano. F Minor is a basic chord that can be used in practically any style of music. This guide is part of a series of lessons on playing the piano, covering chords, scales, and songs. All of the lessons are published and available for free on the Mahalo channel of YouTube.
How to Play an F Minor Chord
Playing minor chords is easy and fun. In the video, Lindsey shows you a simple way to play the F minor chord. Start by playing an F major chord. Place your right thumb on F. Next, place your middle finger on A. Finally, place your little finger on C.
Now it's time to turn the F major chord into an F minor chord. Lower your middle finger one half-step from A to Ab. Now you have an F minor chord. Play all three notes at the same time. Make sure you play each note at the same volume.
How to Play a F Minor Chord on Piano Videos
References
Meet Our Experts
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Lindsey Cloud
Meet Lindsey Cloud, one of Mahalo's piano experts. A musician in Los Angeles, she received her bachelor's degree in music from Rhodes College. She currently works as a regular studio session musician and, since 2006, has been a private piano teacher for students of all ages and skill levels.
In Theory
Any minor triad (3 note chord) consists of the root, flat third and perfect fifth of its corresponding major scale.
In the key of F major, the root is F, the flat third is Ab and the perfect fifth is C.
Minor triads can also be seen as a combination of two intervals: a major third (4 half-steps) on top of a minor third (3 half-steps).
F minor triads should not be confused with 4-note F minor seventh chords.
