F# Minor Chord

The two outside notes are black keys and A is white. A sharp sits immediately to A's right; moving only that middle note makes F sharp major.

F sharp is the root. A is three semitones above it, a minor third. C sharp is seven semitones above the root. If the written chord symbol has a small m, such as F#m, the third is the note you should check first. Minor Chord gives the general formula.

When A is the lowest note in the whole arrangement, write F#m/A. With C sharp in the bass, write F#m/C#. An inversion changes the register and bass line, while the note set stays F sharp-A-C sharp.

F sharp minor is the home triad in F sharp natural minor. It is also the sixth chord in A major. In that major key, the same notes have a different role because the melody and surrounding chords point elsewhere.

Try F#m-Bm-C#m-F#m. These four chords come from the F sharp natural-minor scale. The final F#m repeats the first chord, so listen for the return after the middle two. If you later replace the chord on scale degree 5 with its major form, you will introduce a raised seventh from harmonic minor.

Raise A to A sharp; keep F sharp and C sharp. You get F sharp-A sharp-C sharp. Play both chords at the same volume, then alternate their thirds alone. The single changed key is the reliable distinction, even when tempo or instrument color changes.

Play F sharp-A-C sharp together, then A-C sharp-F sharp. Name the new lowest note before pressing "Hear" again. Return to root position, change A to A sharp, and say whether the result is major or minor.