In the key of F minor, the notes are F, G, G#, A#, C, C#, D# and the chords are Fm, Gdim, G#, A#m, Cm, C#, D#. This page explains the key signature, lists every diatonic chord with its degree, introduces the relative major G# major and links the progressions in this key.
What notes are in the key of F minor?
The key of F minor uses seven notes: F, G, G#, A#, C, C#, D#. In the sharp spelling used on this site, 4 of those seven notes are sharps (G#, A#, C#, D#), and the rest are natural notes. The tonic is F, the note the key is named after and the note melodies in this key return to. Every chord, scale and melody in the key of F minor is built from these seven notes, which is why learning the note list is the first step to playing in the key.
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | F |
| 2 | G |
| 3 | G# |
| 4 | A# |
| 5 | C |
| 6 | C# |
| 7 | D# |
The scale of the key of F minor is the F natural minor scale, which uses exactly these notes in order. Practise that scale up and down before you work on the chords, because the scale is the map of the key: once your fingers know the notes, the chords below are simply groups of those notes played together. Use the Key Finder and the Circle of Fifths to see the key of F minor in context, and the Scale Degree Calculator to check which degree any note belongs to.
Chords in the key of F minor
There are seven diatonic chords in the key of F minor, one built on each note of the key. The table below lists them in order, with their degree and their quality, and each chord links to its full page.
| Degree | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| i | Fm | minor |
| ii° | Gdim | Diminished |
| III | G# | major |
| iv | A#m | minor |
| v | Cm | minor |
| VI | C# | major |
| VII | D# | major |
The i chord is Fm, a minor chord built from F, G#, C. In the key of F minor it is the chord on degree i, and its job depends on that position: the tonic chord is home, the dominant chord pulls home, and the chords in between create the journey. Learn Fm on its own page — Fm guitar chord — and then practise it in the progressions below, where it appears alongside the other chords of this key.
The ii° chord is Gdim, a diminished chord built from G, A#, C#. In the key of F minor it is the chord on degree ii°, and its job depends on that position: the tonic chord is home, the dominant chord pulls home, and the chords in between create the journey. Learn Gdim on its own page — Gdim guitar chord — and then practise it in the progressions below, where it appears alongside the other chords of this key.
The III chord is G#, a major chord built from G#, C, D#. In the key of F minor it is the chord on degree III, and its job depends on that position: the tonic chord is home, the dominant chord pulls home, and the chords in between create the journey. Learn G# on its own page — G# guitar chord — and then practise it in the progressions below, where it appears alongside the other chords of this key.
The iv chord is A#m, a minor chord built from A#, C#, F. In the key of F minor it is the chord on degree iv, and its job depends on that position: the tonic chord is home, the dominant chord pulls home, and the chords in between create the journey. Learn A#m on its own page — A#m guitar chord — and then practise it in the progressions below, where it appears alongside the other chords of this key.
The v chord is Cm, a minor chord built from C, D#, G. In the key of F minor it is the chord on degree v, and its job depends on that position: the tonic chord is home, the dominant chord pulls home, and the chords in between create the journey. Learn Cm on its own page — Cm guitar chord — and then practise it in the progressions below, where it appears alongside the other chords of this key.
The VI chord is C#, a major chord built from C#, F, G#. In the key of F minor it is the chord on degree VI, and its job depends on that position: the tonic chord is home, the dominant chord pulls home, and the chords in between create the journey. Learn C# on its own page — C# guitar chord — and then practise it in the progressions below, where it appears alongside the other chords of this key.
The VII chord is D#, a major chord built from D#, G, A#. In the key of F minor it is the chord on degree VII, and its job depends on that position: the tonic chord is home, the dominant chord pulls home, and the chords in between create the journey. Learn D# on its own page — D# guitar chord — and then practise it in the progressions below, where it appears alongside the other chords of this key.
Relative major
The relative major of F minor is the key of G# major. The two keys share exactly the same notes — F, G, G#, A#, C, C#, D# — but they have different home chords: in F minor the home chord is Fm, while in G# major the home chord is the chord built on G#. That is the whole difference between relative keys: same notes, different tonic. Because they share notes, a melody or progression in F minor can move into G# major without changing key signature, which is why relative keys are the most common modulation in popular music. Practise the G# major scale alongside the F natural minor scale and notice that the notes are identical — only the starting note, and therefore the feeling of home, has changed. The Relative Major / Minor Finder shows the relative key of any key instantly.
Progressions in this key
The progressions that work in the key of F minor include Andalusian cadence in F minor. Each one uses only the diatonic chords listed above, so every chord in the progression belongs to the key and no chromatic notes are needed. Start with the first progression in the list and play it slowly, one chord per bar, listening to how each chord leads to the next. Then try the others and notice how the same seven chords can produce very different feelings simply by changing their order. The Chord Progression Builder and the Progression Finder let you build and identify progressions in the key of F minor and in any other key.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the key of F minor?
The key of F minor contains F, G, G#, A#, C, C#, D#. Those seven notes are the whole key: every scale, chord and melody in this key is built from them, and the key signature follows from which of them are sharps.
What are the chords in the key of F minor?
The seven diatonic chords are Fm, Gdim, G#, A#m, Cm, C#, D#. They are built on the seven notes of the key, one chord per note, in the order shown in the table above. Each chord links to its own page from the chord table.
What is the relative major of F minor?
The relative major of F minor is G# major. The two keys share the same notes — F, G, G#, A#, C, C#, D# — but have different home chords, so a song can move between them without changing key signature.
How many sharps are in the key of F minor?
In the sharp spelling used here, 4 of the seven notes are sharps. The key signature of F minor follows from those notes, and the Circle of Fifths shows where this key sits among all twelve major and minor keys.
Which progressions work in the key of F minor?
Any progression built from the diatonic chords Fm, Gdim, G#, A#m, Cm, C#, D# works in this key. The progressions section above links four of the most common ones, and the Chord Progression Builder lets you build more from the same seven chords.