How to Play F Sharp Minor (F#m) on Guitar: Easy to Barre

F sharp minor (written F#m) is one of the most useful chords you'll ever learn. It isn't flashy, but it appears in hundreds of songs in A, D and E, often right after the chord you just learned. If you've been skipping over it in songs, this guide is for you.

Below are four ways to play F#m, from an easy four-string shape to the full barre chord, plus the notes in the chord, the progressions it lives in and tips for quick changes.

What is F sharp minor?

Note	Role
F#	Root
A	Minor third
C#	Fifth

F#m and A major share two notes (A and C#), which is why they sound so good next to each other. They're "relatives": F#m is the relative minor of A. Our guide to major vs minor chords explains how relative chords work.

1. Easy F#m (four strings)

Start with this version. It sounds full and clear and needs only a small barre.

1. Lay your index finger across the G, B and high e strings at the 2nd fret.
2. Put your ring finger on the 4th fret of the D string.
3. Strum the top four strings, starting from the D string.

If the mini barre is tricky, use separate fingers: index on the G string, middle on the B string and ring on the high e (all at the 2nd fret), with your pinky on the 4th fret of the D string.

2. The full F#m barre chord

The full version is the E minor shape barred at the 2nd fret. It's the one most chord charts show.

1. Barre your index finger across all six strings at the 2nd fret.
2. Put your ring finger on the 4th fret of the A string.
3. Put your pinky on the 4th fret of the D string.
4. Strum all six strings.

The G, B and high e strings are played by the barre alone, so they're the ones most likely to buzz. Roll your index finger slightly onto its bony edge and keep it right behind the fret wire. If your hand tires, take a break; barre strength builds in short sessions. Our guide to barre chords for beginners has more tips.

3. F#m7: an easy, beautiful alternative

F#m7 adds one note (E) to F#m. It's softer and more open, and it works in place of F#m in many acoustic, pop and folk songs. There are two easy ways to play it:

• Easy F#m7: ring finger on the 4th fret of the D string, index on the 2nd fret of the G string, middle on the 2nd fret of the B string, high e open. Strum the top four strings.
• Barre F#m7: the full F#m barre with the pinky lifted off the D string. One less finger than F#m.

4. F#m at the 9th fret (A minor shape)

Higher on the neck, F#m can be played with the A minor shape: barre the A to high e strings at the 9th fret, then place your ring finger on the 11th fret of the D string, pinky on the 11th fret of the G string and middle finger on the 10th fret of the B string. Strum from the A string. It's bright and compact, and useful when the rest of the song is up the neck.

Which F#m should you use?

Version	Best for
Easy F#m	Beginners, fast changes, strumming with a band
Full barre at the 2nd fret	Full acoustic strumming and solo playing
Easy F#m7	Softer acoustic songs; when F#m feels too hard
9th-fret A-minor shape	Songs played higher on the neck

The capo shortcut

Put a capo on the 2nd fret and play an E minor shape: it sounds as F#m. For a whole song in A major (A, D, E, F#m), a capo on the 2nd fret lets you play G, C, D and Em shapes instead. Our guide on how to use a capo explains it.

Where F#m appears

F#m is a supporting chord in three of the most common guitar keys:

• Key of A: A, Bm, C#m, D, E, F#m. Here F#m is the vi chord, the "sad" partner of A. See chords in the key of A.
• Key of D: D, Em, F#m, G, A, Bm. F#m is the iii chord, often leading to G or Bm. See chords in the key of D.
• Key of E: E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C#m. F#m is the ii chord, often leading to B. See chords in the key of E.

In the key of F sharp minor itself, the main chords are F#m, Bm and C#m (or C# and C#7), along with D, E and A.

F#m progressions to practice

Progression	Key	Sound
A – F#m – D – E	A major	Classic 1950s-style "doo-wop"
F#m – D – A – E	A major	Modern pop and rock, starting on the sad chord
D – F#m – G – A	D major	Bright folk-pop
E – F#m – A – B	E major	Uplifting, building
F#m – Bm – C#7 – F#m	F# minor	Dark, classic minor

Strum four beats per chord and use the easy versions of F#m and Bm at first. The second progression uses the same four chords as the first in a different order, which shows how much the starting chord changes the mood. For more patterns, see our guide to guitar chord progressions.

Fast changes into F#m

• A → F#m: from A major, move up to the 2nd-fret barre or the easy shape. Keep it slow until your fingers land together.
• D → F#m (easy): both chords live on the top four strings, so your hand stays in the same area.
• F#m → Bm (barre): switch from the E-minor shape to the A-minor shape while your index barre stays on the 2nd fret. Only the other three fingers move.
• Bm → F#m (easy versions): both have your hand around the 2nd to 4th frets, so the change is short.

Practice each change for a minute, strumming once per chord, and count your clean changes. Our drills on how to change chords faster help with every pair.

Common F#m problems

• Buzzing on the top strings: the barre isn't close enough to the fret, or it's resting on the soft crease of your finger. Shift or roll the finger slightly.
• Low E ringing on the easy version: start your strum on the D string.
• Sounds like F# major: check the G string. For F#m it's at the 2nd fret (A); at the 3rd fret (A#) it becomes F# major.
• Hand cramping: you're squeezing with your thumb. Keep the thumb low and relaxed, and use a little pull from your arm.

If buzzing persists, our guide to why guitar chords buzz covers every cause, from technique to guitar setup.

Learn the related chords

The E-minor barre shape you used for F#m works for every minor chord on the low E string: at the 3rd fret it's Gm, at the 5th it's Am. Our guide to minor chords on guitar maps all twelve. If F#m is giving you trouble, the major version is just as useful: see how to play the F# chord. And for simplified shapes of Bm, C#m and others, see easy versions of hard chords.

A one-week plan for F#m

1. Day 1: learn the easy four-string F#m and check each string with the ring test.
2. Day 2: practice A ↔ F#m for three one-minute rounds, strumming once per chord.
3. Day 3: play A – F#m – D – E with four strums per chord.
4. Day 4: learn easy F#m7 and compare it with F#m in the same progression.
5. Day 5: try the full barre at the 2nd fret. If it buzzes, practice the same shape at the 5th fret (Am) and move down a fret at a time.
6. Day 6: play D – F#m – G – A and F#m – D – A – E.
7. Day 7: play a song in A or D that uses F#m all the way through, choosing whichever version keeps you in time.

F#m in a fingerpicking pattern

F#m sounds beautiful picked slowly. With the easy shape, try this simple pattern: pluck the D string with your thumb, then the G, B and high e strings with your index, middle and ring fingers, one after another. Repeat it twice per chord in A – F#m – D – E. Our guide to fingerpicking for beginners has more patterns that suit chords like this.

Fretwork's path teaches chords like F#m once your open chords are solid, in small daily steps. The first two stages are free, no card required.

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