F minor (Fm) chord on mandolin

Looking for the Fm chord on mandolin? It is a minor triad, made of three notes: F – A♭ – C.

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 3easy

Position 5medium

Position 8medium

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 Fm 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 Fm 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

String 1 (E): fret 1, middle finger (F5)
String 2 (A): fret 3, little finger (C5)
String 3 (D): fret 3, ring finger (F4)
String 4 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭3)

Position 3, barre at fret 3

String 1 (E): fret 4, middle finger (A♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 3, index finger (C5)
String 3 (D): fret 3, index finger (F4)
String 4 (G): fret 5, ring finger (C4)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 3; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 5

String 1 (E): fret 8, little finger (C6)
String 2 (A): fret 8, little finger (F5)
String 3 (D): fret 6, middle finger (A♭4)
String 4 (G): fret 5, index finger (C4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The Fm 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 Fm 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
C♯ – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
Fm7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Richer versions

Fm7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Fm6 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Fm9 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Fm 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 Fm on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Position 3”, 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 Fm chord written?

The chord symbol is Fm, and its full name is F minor.