Banjo · minor
F♯m Chord on Banjo
F# Minor is F#, A, C# — the 1-b3-5 pattern of a minor chord. Here is the shape, the audio, and what usually goes wrong.
There is no open F#m on banjo. The one shape below sits up the neck and is rated intermediate.
Start here — Movable Minor Shape (10th fret)
Sits at fret 10 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath.
What beginners get wrong
Moving in and out of it
F#m on other instruments
Same notes, different hands. Every link below is a real page with diagrams and audio.
Chords next door
Same root, different colour — and all of them playable on banjo.
F#m on Banjo — questions people ask
What is the easiest way to play F#m on banjo?
“Movable Minor Shape (10th fret)” — which we rate intermediate — is the easiest F#m shape on banjo. Sits at fret 10 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath. There is no open F#m on banjo, so a barre is unavoidable; this is the least demanding one.
What notes are in the F# Minor chord?
F# Minor is F#, A, C# — the 1-b3-5 interval pattern of a minor chord. Every voicing on this page uses those notes and nothing else; they just appear in a different order and octave.
What can I play instead of F#m?
The nearest stand-ins on banjo that keep the same root are F#5, F#sus4, F#sus2. They keep the root and the fifth and only change what sits in the middle, so most songs still work — but check the swap against the melody, because the note you removed may be the one the tune is singing.
Can I play F#m on other instruments?
Yes. F#m is the same set of notes everywhere; only the fingering changes. This site has diagrams and audio for it on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin.
Learn the theory behind F#m
The shape gets your fingers there. These explain why it sounds the way it does.
Major and Minor Scales — Built from Intervals, Felt in Songs
The flat third is the whole difference between this chord and its major twin.
5 min read
Key Signatures: Read Any Key in Two Seconds
Which keys this chord belongs to, and how to read the sharps and flats.
6 min read
Chord Progressions Explained
Minor chords rarely travel alone. Here is the company they keep.
7 min read