Key · minor

The key of F Minor

F Minor has 4 flats (B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭). Its scale is F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭. The seven chords built on those degrees are i Fm, ii° Gdim, III A♭, iv B♭m, v Cm, VI D♭ and VII E♭; the dominant is Cm and the subdominant B♭m. Its relative major is A♭ Major and its parallel major is F Major.

Key signature
4 flats · B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭
Scale
F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭
Relative major
A♭ Major
Parallel major
F Major

The scale on the keyboard

The F Minor scale on the piano keyboard: F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭12341234FGA♭B♭CD♭E♭F

Fingering for both hands, the step pattern and the other forms are on the F Natural Minor scale page.

Scale degrees

DegreeNoteNameInterval from the tonic
1FTonicUnison
2GSupertonicMajor 2nd
3A♭MediantMinor 3rd
4B♭SubdominantPerfect 4th
5CDominantPerfect 5th
6D♭SubmediantMinor 6th
7E♭SubtonicMinor 7th

Chords in F Minor

One chord on each degree of the scale. The dominant is Cm and the subdominant B♭m.

NumeralTriadQualitySeventh
iFmMinorFm7
ii°GdimDiminishedGm7♭5
IIIA♭MajorA♭maj7
ivB♭mMinorB♭m7
vCmMinorCm7
VID♭MajorD♭maj7
VIIE♭MajorE♭7

Chord functions

FunctionChords
Tonici · III · VI
Subdominantii° · iv
Dominantv · VII · V (harmonic)

Common progressions in F Minor

ProgressionChordsLevel
i – iv – vFm – B♭m – CmEasy
i – iv – VFm – B♭m – CEasy
i – VI – III – VIIFm – D♭ – A♭ – E♭Easy
i – VII – VI – VIIFm – E♭ – D♭ – E♭Easy
i – VII – VI – VFm – E♭ – D♭ – CMedium
i – VI – iv – VFm – D♭ – B♭m – CMedium
i – iv – VII – IIIFm – B♭m – E♭ – A♭Medium
i – III – VII – ivFm – A♭ – E♭ – B♭mMedium
i – iv – i – VFm – B♭m – Fm – CMedium
i – IV – i – VFm – B♭ – Fm – CHard
ii° – V – iGdim – C – FmHard
iiø7 – V7 – im7Gm7♭5 – C7 – Fm7Hard
12-Bar Minor BluesFm – Fm – Fm – Fm – B♭m – B♭m – Fm – Fm – D♭ – C – Fm – CHard

The other keys

C MajorG MajorD MajorA MajorE MajorB MajorF♯ MajorD♭ MajorA♭ MajorE♭ MajorB♭ MajorF MajorA MinorE MinorB MinorF♯ MinorC♯ MinorG♯ MinorE♭ MinorB♭ MinorC MinorG MinorD Minor

Part of the key reference. See also the chords and the scales.