F minor arpeggio on bass
The F minor arpeggio (Fm) has 3 notes: F, A♭, C (F, A flat, and C), degrees 1, ♭3, 5 of the chord. On bass it fits one octave with the root on the 4th string (fret 1) or on the 3rd string (fret 8).
- F 1
- A♭ A flat ♭3
- C 5
Whole neck: every note of the arpeggio up to fret 15. The root (F) is highlighted.
Positions as text
Root on string 4 (E) (frets 1 to 4), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 4: 1 (F), 4 (A♭)
- string 3: 3 (C)
- string 2: 3 (F)
Root on string 3 (A) (frets 8 to 11), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 3: 8 (F), 11 (A♭)
- string 2: 10 (C)
- string 1: 10 (F)
Positions on the neck
On bass, each position fits within 4 or 5 frets, one finger per fret, with the root on the 4th string (E) or the 3rd (A), from F to the F one octave up. Two octaves do not fit under a still hand on 4 strings: you need to shift position halfway.
The faded notes around a position are chord tones too: use them to extend the arpeggio down or up.
Use Degrees to see the role of each note (1 is the root) and Listen to hear the selected position going up and down, at the tempo you want. With the whole neck, Listen plays the arpeggio from the lowest root.
Diagrams in standard tuning (E A D G).
Formula
- F
- 3
- A♭
- 4
- C
- 5
- F
Degrees: 1 · ♭3 · 5 (root, minor third, perfect fifth). Distance between the notes: 3 – 4 – 5 semitones, counting the step back to the upper root.
About the minor chord
The minor third makes the chord darker, wistful or inward-looking. In a major key it shows up on the ii, iii and vi degrees (A minor in C major); in a minor key it is home base, from romantic ballads to folk songs.
The chord and the scale
- F minor chord (Fm) The chord shapes on guitar, with sound
- F natural minor scale The scale to practice with it: it has every note of the arpeggio plus the ones in between.
Other F scales with every note of the arpeggio
More F arpeggios
- Major (F)
- Minor (Fm)
- Seventh (F7)
- Major seventh (F7M)
- Minor seventh (Fm7)
- Half-diminished (Fm7(♭5))
- Diminished seventh (F°7)
- Augmented (F+)
The minor arpeggio in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the F minor arpeggio?
The F minor arpeggio (Fm) has the notes F, A flat, and C: degrees 1, ♭3, 5 of the chord.
How do you play the F minor arpeggio on bass?
In one octave, one finger per fret: root on string 4 (E) (frets 1 to 4, 1 octave) and root on string 3 (A) (frets 8 to 11, 1 octave).
Which scale goes with the F minor arpeggio?
The F minor scale, which has every note of the arpeggio. These also have all of them: F harmonic minor scale, F melodic minor scale, F minor pentatonic scale, F blues scale, F major blues scale, F Dorian scale, F Phrygian scale, and F dominant diminished (half-whole) scale.