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How to Play The F Minor Chord on Bass
The most common way to play the F minor chord on bass is at the 8th position of the fretboard, on the E, A, and D strings. Play it with your ring, pinky, and index fingers. Here’s how to place your fingers:
- Ring finger (3) on fret 8 of the E string
- Pinky finger (4) on fret 8 of the A string
- Index finger (1) on fret 6 of the D string
The root note, F, is on the 8th fret of the A string, which you can see in the chord diagram below.
You can also play F minor as a dyad, which means playing it with only the 2 primary intervals: the root (F) and the minor 3rd (G#).
You can use this F minor arpeggio bass diagram to visualize and construct the F minor chord in any position on your fretboard.
Other names for F Minor
The F minor chord can be written in several ways, including:
- F Minor
- Fmin
- Fm
These notations all represent the same chord, built from the notes F, G#, and C.
Practicing the F Minor chord on bass
The F minor chord is the root chord in the F natural minor scale, so use it in a 1-4-5 progression in the key of F minor. This gives you the chords Fm – Bbm – Cm.
The F minor chord also sounds great as the minor vi chord in the G# major scale. Use it in a G# major chord progression, such as G# – Fmin – C# – D#.
