F minor runs F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D♭ – E♭ – F. Natural minor follows whole–half–whole–whole–half–whole–whole steps. The key signature is 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭). A♭, B♭, D♭, E♭ are black keys; the other 3 scale notes are played on white keys. The last F is the first note again, one octave higher.
F minor notes and fingering
Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger). These are the one-octave ascending fingerings for the natural-minor form, one hand at a time:
| Notes | F | G | A♭ | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Fingering source: LearnMusicTheory.net, “Major and Natural Minor Scales for Piano,” §2.7.
Play slowly until every note has the same length. At a 1 in the middle of the right-hand row, pass the thumb underneath. At a 3 or 4 after left-hand 1, cross that finger over. Descend by reversing the same finger numbers. The altered notes of harmonic and melodic minor may call for a different fingering; this table is for natural minor.
Key signature and relative key
F minor has 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭). Its relative major is A♭ major. The relative major starts on A♭, three half steps above F. They share a key signature and the same seven notes.
Natural, harmonic and melodic minor
| Form | Notes ascending | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Natural | F · G · A♭ · B♭ · C · D♭ · E♭ · F | Key-signature notes |
| Harmonic | F · G · A♭ · B♭ · C · D♭ · E · F | Raise scale degree 7 |
| Melodic | F · G · A♭ · B♭ · C · D · E · F | Raise degrees 6 and 7 going up |
In classical practice, melodic minor usually comes down with the natural-minor notes: F · E♭ · D♭ · C · B♭ · A♭ · G · F. The keyboard's Play up and down button follows that convention when you select melodic minor.
The seven chords in F minor
Stack every other scale note to make three-note chords. The Roman numeral tells you which degree supplies the root; upper-case numerals are major, lower-case are minor, and ° means diminished.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i | Fm | F · A♭ · C |
| ii° | Gdim | G · B♭ · D♭ |
| III | A♭ | A♭ · C · E♭ |
| iv | B♭m | B♭ · D♭ · F |
| v | Cm | C · E♭ · G |
| VI | D♭ | D♭ · F · A♭ |
| VII | E♭ | E♭ · G · B♭ |
The v chord here comes from natural minor. Raising degree 7 for harmonic minor changes it to a major V, C.
Progressions to try
- i – iv – v – i: Fm – B♭m – Cm – Fm. These chords use only the natural-minor notes above.
- i – V – i: Fm – C – Fm. The V chord uses the raised 7th from harmonic minor, giving a stronger pull back to i.
Play the scale up and down, then try each progression without leaving the key. Start one hand at a time, and use the highlighted keyboard above to check any note. The scale finder and piano chord finder let you compare other keys.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the F minor scale?
F minor is F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F. Its key signature is 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭).
What fingers play the F minor scale?
Ascending one octave, right hand: 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4; left hand: 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1. Reverse the order to descend. These fingerings are for natural minor.
What is the relative major of F minor?
A♭ major. The keys share 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭) and the same seven notes.