F# minor chord on piano

How to play F# minor on piano

1. Find F♯, the first black key of a group of three.
2. Put your right thumb (finger 1) on F♯.
3. Count three half steps up, black and white keys alike, to A. Rest your middle finger (3) there.
4. Count four more half steps to C♯ for your little finger (5).
5. Press all three keys together.
6. For the left hand, play the same keys with fingers 5, 3 and 1, or play F♯ an octave lower with your little finger.

Inversions

1. Root position

   F♯, A, C♯

   Right hand 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1.

   Play

2. 1st inversion

   A, C♯, F♯

   Right hand 1, 2, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1.

   Play

3. 2nd inversion

   C♯, F♯, A

   Right hand 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 2, 1.

   Play

The shape of F# minor

F# minor is black, white, black: A is the only white key. C# minor and G# minor have the same pattern.

F# minor is built from the F♯ natural minor scale: take its 1st, 3rd and 5th notes, skipping every other note.

1. F♯1
2. G♯2
3. A3
4. B4
5. C♯5
6. D6
7. E7

Smooth changes from F# minor

Jumping from one root position chord to the next moves the whole hand. The right inversion keeps shared notes still and moves the others the shortest way. Below are the chords built on the 4th and 5th notes of F# minor's own key: Bm and C#.

• From F#m to Bm, play Bm in 2nd inversion (F♯–B–D): F♯ stays, A moves up two half steps to B and C♯ moves up a half step to D.

  Play Bm

• From F#m to C#, play C# in 1st inversion (E♯–G♯–C♯): F♯ moves down a half step to E♯ (the white key usually called F), A moves down a half step to G♯ and C♯ stays.

  Play C#

F# minor on the staff and on guitar

Keys with F# minor in them

• D majoriiiD, Em, F♯m, G, A, Bm, C♯dim
• E majoriiE, F♯m, G♯m, A, B, C♯m, D♯dim
• A majorviA, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m, G♯dim
• C♯ minorivC♯m, D♯dim, E, F♯m, G♯m, A, B
• F♯ minoriF♯m, G♯dim, A, Bm, C♯m, D, E
• B minorvBm, C♯dim, D, Em, F♯m, G, A

Progressions that use it

• i–VI–III–VII, in F♯ minor

  1. iF♯m
  2. VID
  3. IIIA
  4. VIIE

• i–iv–v, in F♯ minor

  1. iF♯m
  2. ivBm
  3. vC♯m

• i–VII–VI–V (Andalusian cadence), in F♯ minor

  1. iF♯m
  2. VIIE
  3. VID
  4. VC♯

• iiø7–V7–i, in F♯ minor

  1. iiø7G♯m7♭5
  2. V7C♯7
  3. iF♯m