F♯ minor (F♯m) chord on banjo

The F♯ minor chord (F♯m) is a minor triad, made of three notes: F♯ – A – C♯. The same chord with a different spelling: G♭ minor (G♭m).

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 4medium

Position 6medium

Position 10medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the F♯m chord sounds like

A minor triad differs from a major one only in the third: it has a minor third, which gives it a darker, sadder colour. In a major key, chords ii, iii and vi are minor.

Notes of the F♯m chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	F♯	root
3	A	minor third (3 semitones)
5	C♯	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape, barre at fret 2

String 1 (D): fret 4, little finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, index finger (C♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 2, index finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 4, ring finger (F♯3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 2; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 4

String 1 (D): fret 7, little finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 7, little finger (F♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, ring finger (C♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 4, index finger (F♯3)

Position 6

String 1 (D): fret 7, little finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 7, ring finger (F♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, index finger (C♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 7, middle finger (A3)

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The F♯m chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

F♯ minor: i (tonic)
B minor: v (dominant)
C♯ minor: iv (subdominant)
D major: iii
A major: vi
E major: ii

Similar chords and substitutes

If F♯m is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

A – relative major: two shared notes
D – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
F♯m7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Richer versions

F♯m7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
F♯m6 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
F♯m9 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the F♯m chord?

F♯, A, C♯. The root is F♯; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, perfect fifth.

What is the easiest way to play F♯m on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the F♯m chord written?

The chord symbol is F♯m (also written F#m), and its full name is F♯ minor.