Guitar scale · natural minor, Aeolian mode
F# Minor Scale
Emotional, sad, and epic tones defined by the classic natural minor scale.
Tap any note to hear it.
F# Minor Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------2-4-5-| B|-------------------------3-5-------| G|-------------------2-4-6-----------| D|-------------2-4-6-----------------| A|-------2-4-5-----------------------| E|-2-4-5-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------4-5-7-| B|-------------------------5-7-------| G|-------------------4-6-7-----------| D|-------------4-6-7-----------------| A|-------4-5-7-----------------------| E|-4-5-7-----------------------------|
e|-------------------------------7-9-10-| B|------------------------7-9-10--------| G|------------------6-7-9---------------| D|------------6-7-9---------------------| A|--------7-9---------------------------| E|-7-9-10-------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------9-10-12-| B|---------------------------------10-12---------| G|-------------------------9-11-13---------------| D|-----------------9-11-12-----------------------| A|---------9-11-12-------------------------------| E|-9-10-12---------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-14-| B|----------------------------------12-14-15-------| G|-------------------------11-13-14----------------| D|----------------11-12-14-------------------------| A|-------11-12-14----------------------------------| E|-12-14-------------------------------------------|
How to play F# Minor on guitar
Find the root first: F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every F# on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 2–6. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
F# Minor uses exactly the same notes as A major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the A Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | F# |
| 2 | G# |
| ♭3 | A |
| 4 | B |
| 5 | C# |
| ♭6 | D |
| ♭7 | E |
Chords in F# Minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in F# Minor; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | F#m | F#m7 | Tonic |
| ii° | G#dim | G#m7b5 | Supertonic |
| ♭III | A | Amaj7 | Mediant |
| iv | Bm | Bm7 | Subdominant |
| v | C#m | C#m7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | D | Dmaj7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | E | E7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
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Questions
- What notes are in the F# Minor Scale?
- The F# Minor Scale has 7 notes: F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, E.
- What chords are in the F# Minor Scale?
- The chords of F# Minor are F#m (i), G#dim (ii°), A (♭III), Bm (iv), C#m (v), D (♭VI), E (♭VII).
- What is the formula of the minor scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play F# Minor on the guitar?
- The root F# is at fret 2 on the low E string and fret 9 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 2–6, and four more positions connect it up the neck.