Fm7, minor seventh chord
F, A♭, C and E♭
- Root
- F
- Minor third
- A♭
- Perfect fifth
- C
- Minor seventh
- E♭
Formula
1 ♭3 5 ♭7 (3, 7, 10 half steps above F)
Fingering in root position
| Notes | F | A♭ | C | E♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
F minor 7 inversions
F minor 7 has 3 inversions. Each one keeps the same notes and puts a different one at the bottom, so your hand can stay close to the chord before or after it.
Fm7
Root position
| Notes | F | A♭ | C | E♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Fm7/A♭
First inversion
| Notes | A♭ | C | E♭ | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Fm7/C
Second inversion
| Notes | C | E♭ | F | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Fm7/E♭
Third inversion
| Notes | E♭ | F | A♭ | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Keys with F minor 7
Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. F minor 7 appears as:
- i7 in F minor
- vi7 in A♭ major
- ii7 in E♭ major
- iii7 in D♭ major
- iv7 in C minor
- v7 in B♭ minor
How F minor 7 is built
F is the root, A♭ the minor third, C the perfect fifth and E♭ the minor seventh.
A minor seventh chord is a minor chord plus the minor seventh, 10 half steps above the root. F minor 7 uses the same keys as A♭6.
Every chord takes every other letter of the alphabet, so the letters of F minor 7 are F, A, C, E. That is why it is spelled F, A♭, C and E♭.
Find F minor 7 yourself
Without looking at the diagrams, find the chord on the keyboard, then each inversion. Saying the notes out loud as you tap them helps them stick.
Step 1 of 4
Tap the notes of F minor 7, in any octave and any order.
Practice F minor 7 in real music
MasterPiano gives you new music to read at your level and listens as you play, through a MIDI keyboard or your device's microphone, marking each note right or wrong.
Start freeQuestions
What notes are in the F minor 7 chord?
F minor 7 (Fm7) has four notes: F, A♭, C and E♭. F is the root, A♭ the minor third, C the perfect fifth and E♭ the minor seventh.
What fingers do you use for F minor 7 on piano?
In root position, play F, A♭, C and E♭ with right hand fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 (thumb, index finger, middle finger and little finger) and left hand fingers 5, 3, 2 and 1. The fingers change a little in each inversion; every inversion on this page shows its own.
What are the inversions of F minor 7?
F minor 7 has 3 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (Fm7/A♭): A♭, C, E♭ and F. Second inversion (Fm7/C): C, E♭, F and A♭. Third inversion (Fm7/E♭): E♭, F, A♭ and C.
What key is F minor 7 in?
F minor 7 is i7 in F minor, its home key. It also appears as vi7 in A♭ major, ii7 in E♭ major, iii7 in D♭ major, iv7 in C minor and v7 in B♭ minor.