Practice to Play F Minor Guitar Chord

F minor is one of the popular guitar chords that beginners get to learn during the initial days of their guitar learning. Moreover, the F minor guitar chord is also used for practising minor barre chords as the root 6-barre chord version of the F minor is played on the 1st Fret. F minor is the one that overflows your music with emotions and makes you feel like tearing up. It is one of the first chords that represents negative emotions. 

Today, with the help of this blog, we are going to showcase steps that result in the F minor chord, its different variations, tips on how to play it effectively, and what notes make up this essential chord. So, without waiting any further, let’s begin and Practice Guitar Chords with Torrins.

Importance Of F Minor Guitar Chord

F minor chord is the most common chord to which beginners get stuck; in addition to this, it is one of the most searched guitar chords on the internet. Because it is the very first chord that makes you use barre, meaning covering more than one string with your finger, getting used to this technique is pretty hard as it requires you to build finger strength and tons of practice. Here are guitar lessons for beginners.

How To Play F Minor Chord?

Yes, the basic version of the F minor chord requires a barre, but there are other ways of playing it, including the ones where you don’t even have to form a barre at all. Let’s first discuss the most difficult one, which is also considered to be the best version of the F minor chord. 

From there we will be slowly moving to other and more simpler variations. 

But to be clear, it is better to use the barre version of the F minor as the sound produced using the barre version is more accurate than the other versions. To play the F minor chord, follow the diagram given below:- 

• Step – 1: Place your index finger (1) finger across the 1st Fret in such a way that it makes a barre across the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th string. 
• Step – 2: Place your ring finger (3) on the 3rd Fret at the 5th string. 
• Step – 3: Place your pinky finger (4) on the 3rd Fret at the 4th string. 
• Step – 4: Strum all 6 strings from 1st to 6th.

The above-mentioned chord diagram of the F minor guitar chord is the one you are going to find everywhere. 

One tip we would like to disclose here is that you should first place the tip of your index finger (1) on the sixth string and then flatten your finger to make a barre across the 1st to 3rd string.

Notes Present In F Minor Chord

F minor chord is formed by a root (F), A minor third, and a perfect fifth C. When you play these notes together, what you get to hear is a melancholy sound, which represents deep sorrow and sadness, giving this chord more of an emotional touch.

F Minor Chord Shapes

Given below, we have provided some variations of the F minor chord.

F Minor Chord Easier Version

One of the first things you need to know about barres is that it is much easier to play them when they become smaller, meaning fewer strings to play with one finger. In this variation, you don’t need to form a barre across the fretboard. Here, the barre is going to be on the 1st to 3rd string.

• Step – 1: Place the tip of your index finger (1) on the 3rd string at the 2nd Fret and then flatten your finger to the 2nd and 1st string. 
• Step – 2: Place your ring finger (3) on the 4th Fret at the 4th string. 
• Step – 3: Strum strings from 1st to 4th. 

Easy Minor F Minor Chord Variation

• Step – 1: Place your index finger (1) on the 2nd Fret at the 3rd string. 
• Step – 2: Place your middle finger (2) on the 2nd Fret at the 2nd string. 
• Step – 3: Place your ring finger (3) on the 2nd Fret at the 1st string. 
• Step – 4: Strum the first 3 strings from the bottom to the top. 

F Minor Chord On 8th Fret

Here, you will be using your index finger to form the barre on the 8th Fret. This is the alternative barre version of the F minor chord, and it is the best-sounding version out there. In addition to this, the lower you go on the fretboard, the higher the pitch is going to be because the length of the vibrating string keeps getting shorter as you move towards the body.

• Step – 1: Place your index finger (1) on the 8th Fret across the 5th string to the 1st string. 
• Step – 2: Place your middle finger (2) on the 9th Fret at the 2nd string. 
• Step – 3: Place your ring finger (3) on the 10th Fret at the 4th string. 
• Step – 4: Place your pinky finger (4) on the 10th Fret at the 3rd string.

List Of Songs You Can Play With F Minor Chord

Given below is the list of songs you can play using the F minor chord.

Pop Songs

• Stayin’ Alive By Bees Gees
• Holiday By Green Day 
• Papa Don’t Preach By Madonna
• Another Day In Paradise By Phil Collins

Rock Songs

• Smells Like A Teen Spirit By Nirvana 
• Dream On By Aerosmith 
• Lemon Tree By Fool’s Garden 
• Paint It Black By The Rolling Stones

Bollywood Songs

• Main Yahan Tu Wahan From Movie Baghban 
• Tumse Hi From Movie Jab We Met
• Give Me Some Sunshine From Movie 3 Idiots
• Phir Se Udd Chala From Movie Rockstar 

You can find guitar song lessons on hundreds of songs on Torrins.

Tips For Playing F Minor Chord

Here are a few things you need to keep in mind when playing this chord:-

Ensure You Have Proper Finger Placement

When playing F minor chord it is essential to have your finger placed in the right spot on the fretboard, pressing down the correct string in such a way that each note can ring out. 

In case your fingers are not placed correctly, the notes will be muted out, which ultimately leads to chords not sounding right. 

It is best that you start slowly by closely looking at the position of each finger. Also, you need to make sure that your fingers are not in contact with adjacent strings. Because even a slight touch can prevent the other strings from vibrating. Please don’t put too much pressure on the strings with your fingers; they have to be pressed down firmly.

Practice Finger Independence

You need to grow finger independence in order to perform a smooth transition, what it means is that each finger needs to move independently at its position without affecting any form of strain on other fingers. There are a number of finger independence exercises you can practice to increase the dexterity of your fingers. 

One of the exercises you can do is placing each finger of yours on the fretboard one by one and then lifting them in the same manner. This will make your fingers independent from each other and make them more agile. 
You can also read Ways to Chord Change here.

Head over to Torrins.com to learn the fundamentals of playing guitar. Whether you’re an absolute beginner or an experienced player aiming to polish your skills, our personalized learning path can help you reach your music goals. With a wide range of lessons, expert instructors, and helpful features, you’ll find everything you need to succeed.

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