Which strings do I strum for F# minor?

6 strings, from the thick E string down to the thin e. All six ring.

What notes are in an F# minor chord?

F#, A, C#. The F# is the root, the note the chord is named after. The A makes it minor.

What chords go with F#m?

Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, Bm and C#m, and its relative major, A. Songs move between these because they share notes.

minor chord

How to play F# minor chord on guitar

The E minor shape moved up two frets with a full barre. Same fingers as E minor, one more job for the index.

Loading the guitar…

Where the fingers go

1
index finger, thick E string, fret 2
The thickest string, nearest the ceiling.
2
ring finger, A string, fret 4
Count from the thick string: E A.
3
pinky, D string, fret 4
Count from the thick string: E A D.
4
index finger, G string, fret 2
Count from the thick string: E A D G.
5
index finger, B string, fret 2
Count from the thick string: E A D G B.
6
index finger, thin e string, fret 2
The thinnest string, nearest the floor.
7
Strum 6 strings, from the thick E string down
All six strings belong to this chord.

The same shape seen along the neck, thin e on top. Numbers are fingers; 0 is an open string.

The notes in F#m

A chord is three or four notes played together. F# minor is built from these:

Note	Job in the chord	Where it is in this shape
F#	root	thick E string, fret 2; D string, fret 4; thin e string, fret 2
A	minor third	G string, fret 2
C#	fifth	A string, fret 4; B string, fret 2

The root, F#, is the note it is named after. The second note decides the mood: a major third sounds bright, a minor third sounds sad. This chord sounds sad or thoughtful.

Where it sits on the circle of fifths

The circle of fifths lines up the twelve keys so that neighbours share the most notes. Chords next to each other on the circle sound good one after the other, which is why songs move between them.

Bm and C#m are F#m’s neighbours. Most songs in F#m use one or both.
A is its relative major: the same notes, a different home. Swapping between them changes the mood without changing your hand much.

The mistake everyone makes

Watch out

Squeezing with the thumb

Pull the neck gently toward you with the arm instead. The thumb only steadies.

Tip

It is E minor with a barre

Make E minor with the ring finger and pinky, slide up two frets, and lay the index across fret 2.

Songs that use it

Songs in A and E. The relative minor of A.

None of the songs on the site use F#m yet. It is coming with the next batch.

Questions people ask

Which strings do I strum for F# minor?: 6 strings, from the thick E string down to the thin e. All six ring.
What notes are in an F# minor chord?: F#, A, C#. The F# is the root, the note the chord is named after. The A makes it minor.
What chords go with F#m?: Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, Bm and C#m, and its relative major, A. Songs move between these because they share notes.