How to Make an F Minor Chord

How to Play an F Minor Chord on the Piano

• 1

  Find a group of three black keys. The white key directly to the left of any group of three black keys is F. Play “F” with your right thumb.

• 2

  Play “Ab” (A flat) with your right middle finger. Ab is the middle black key in any group of three black keys.

• 3

  Play “C” with your right pinky. The white key directly to the left of any group of two black keys is C.

• 4

  Play the F minor chord as a "block" chord by playing all three notes simultaneously.

• 5

  Play the F minor chord as a "broken" chord by playing the notes one at a time. Experiment with the order in which you play the notes and their durations. Here’s a common broken chord pattern played in 4/4 meter:

  F Ab C Ab | F Ab C Ab |

How to Play an F Minor Chord on the Guitar

• 6

  Lay your left index finger across all six strings just above the first fret.

• 7

  Place your left middle finger just above the third fret on the A string. The A string is the second-lowest string next to the low E string. As you hold the guitar, the string closest to you is the low E string.

• 8

  Place your left ring finger just above the third fret on the D string. The D string is next to the A string, two strings down from the low E string.

• 9

  Play the F minor chord as a block chord by strumming the strings with your right hand.

• 10

  Play the F minor chord as a broken chord by plucking the strings with your right hand one at a time. In 3/4 time, an F minor broken chord could be played like this, with the strings numbered 1 through 6, starting with the low E string closest to you:

  1 3 4 5 4 3 | 1 3 4 5 4 3