F Minor (Fm)

1+b3+5
FCAb
4 4
Download MIDI

Notes in F Minor

F (root)AbC

Inversions

Same notes as F Minor, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

F in the bass

FCAb

1st inversion

Ab in the bass

CFAb

2nd inversion

C in the bass

CFAb

Play F, Ab and C together and you get F Minor.

Shrink the major third by a semitone and the same stable shape turns melancholy. A minor triad still resolves, it just carries a heavier, more introspective mood than its major counterpart. Sad songs lean on it constantly, but so do tense film cues and moody grooves, so treat the label as a starting point rather than the whole story.

Difficulty: Beginner. Category: Triads. Click any key on the diagram above to hear that single note.