F♯m, the F♯ minor guitar chord

F♯ minor is F’s moodier neighbor, one fret higher with two fingers lifted. The index barres all six strings at the 2nd fret while the ring and pinky hold the minor grip of the E shape, and the sound is dark and even. The barre itself is a touch easier here than at the 1st fret, because string tension eases as you move away from the nut. Listen for the G string: the barre alone frets it, and it’s the first note to die when the finger arches.

F♯m
Ⓡ134

How to play it

  • Index finger flattened across the low E string (6th), G string (3rd), B string (2nd) and high E string (1st), 2nd fret.
  • Ring finger on the A string (5th), 4th fret.
  • Pinky on the D string (4th), 4th fret.

Changes to practice

Holding F♯m still is the easy part. Songs need you to arrive at it in rhythm, so in Strumhold you practice F♯m as changes, alongside the rest of the E-shape Barres set:

Same root, different color