Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| F♯ | Root | 1 |
| A | Minor 3rd | ♭3 |
| C♯ | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| D♯ | Major 6th | 6 |
Fingering
| Note | Key color | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| F♯ | black | index finger (2) | little finger (5) |
| A | white | middle finger (3) | ring finger (4) |
| C♯ | black | ring finger (4) | middle finger (3) |
| D♯ | black | little finger (5) | index finger (2) |
Right hand: index finger (2) on F♯, middle finger (3) on A, ring finger (4) on C♯, little finger (5) on D♯.
Left hand: little finger (5) on F♯, ring finger (4) on A, middle finger (3) on C♯, index finger (2) on D♯.
F♯ Minor 6th Inversions
- Root positionF♯ – A – C♯ – D♯
- 1st inversion (F♯m6/A)A – C♯ – D♯ – F♯
- 2nd inversion (F♯m6/C♯)C♯ – D♯ – F♯ – A
- 3rd inversion (F♯m6/D♯)D♯ – F♯ – A – C♯
Key Signature
A chord has no key signature of its own, but the F♯ Minor 6th is the tonic (i) chord of F♯ Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, A Major: 3 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯).
Order of sharps
Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.
Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle
Chords in the Key of F♯ Minor
These are the triads built on each degree of F♯ Minor:
Scales That Include the F♯ Minor 6th
- E Major (ii)
- C# Minor (iv)
- F# Dorian (i)
- G# Phrygian (vii)
- A Lydian (vi)
- B Mixolydian (v)
- C# Aeolian (iv)
- D# Locrian (iii)
Same Notes, Other Names
The notes F♯ – A – C♯ – D♯ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:
F♯ Minor 6th : Frequently Asked Questions
What notes are in F♯m6?
How do you play F♯m6 on piano?
What are the inversions of F♯m6?
What is the difference between F♯m6 and F♯m?
What is an easy F♯m6 for small hands?
What are the frequencies of F♯m6?
What is the set class of F♯m6?
How do I transpose F♯m6 to another key?
Is G♭m6 the same as F♯m6?
F♯ Minor 6th in detail
Exact
Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.
| Type | Notes | Semitones | Span | Omissions and additions | Set relation | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close, root position | F♯3 A3 C♯4 D♯4 | 9 | 124 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, first inversion | A3 C♯4 D♯4 F♯4 | 9 | 124 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, second inversion | C♯4 D♯4 F♯4 A4 | 8 | 110 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, third inversion | D♯4 F♯4 A4 C♯5 | 10 | 138 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 2 | C♯3 F♯3 A3 D♯4 | 14 | 193 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 3 | A2 F♯3 C♯4 D♯4 | 18 | 248 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 2 and 4 | F♯2 C♯3 A3 D♯4 | 21 | 289 mm | none | identical |
Reduced
A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.
| Type | Notes | Semitones | Span | Omissions and additions | Set relation | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shell, root 6 ♭3 | F♯2 D♯3 A3 | 15 | 206 mm | omits C♯ | subset | |
| Guide tones, ♭3 and 6 | A3 D♯4 | 6 | 83 mm | omits F♯ and C♯ | subset | |
| Rootless close | A3 C♯4 D♯4 | 6 | 83 mm | omits F♯ | subset |
Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).
| Position | Bass note | Notes in order | Figured bass | Semitones | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | F♯ | F♯3, A3, C♯4, D♯4 | 7 | 9 | 124 mm |
| First inversion: F♯m6/A | A | A3, C♯4, D♯4, F♯4 | 6/5 | 9 | 124 mm |
| Second inversion: F♯m6/C♯ | C♯ | C♯4, D♯4, F♯4, A4 | 4/3 | 8 | 110 mm |
| Third inversion: F♯m6/D♯ | D♯ | D♯4, F♯4, A4, C♯5 | 4/2 | 10 | 138 mm |
One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.
| Progression | Key | Role | Sequence | Voice leading |
|---|
Root motion, common tones and voice displacement are computed from pitch class sets. Roman numerals follow common practice functional harmony.
Change one note
Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.
| Chord | Change | Formula | Common tones |
|---|---|---|---|
| F♯m | drops D♯ | 1 ♭3 5 | 3 |
| F♯m7 | D♯ becomes E | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | 3 |
| F♯mMaj7 | D♯ becomes E♯ | 1 ♭3 5 7 | 3 |
| F♯dim7 | C♯ becomes C | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7 | 3 |
| F♯6 | A becomes A♯ | 1 3 5 6 | 3 |
| F♯m9 | D♯ becomes E, G♯ | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9 | 3 |
| F♯ | A, D♯ becomes A♯ | 1 3 5 | 2 |
| F♯dim | C♯, D♯ becomes C | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | 2 |
| F♯sus2 | A, D♯ becomes G♯ | 1 2 5 | 2 |
| F♯sus4 | A, D♯ becomes B | 1 4 5 | 2 |
| F♯maj7 | A, D♯ becomes A♯, E♯ | 1 3 5 7 | 2 |
| F♯7 | A, D♯ becomes A♯, E | 1 3 5 ♭7 | 2 |
Frequencies
| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| F♯3 | 54 | 185.00 Hz |
| A3 | 57 | 220.00 Hz |
| C♯4 | 61 | 277.18 Hz |
| D♯4 | 63 | 311.13 Hz |
Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.
Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector
- Absolute pitch class set
- {6, 9, 1, 3}
- Normal order
- [1, 3, 6, 9]
- Prime form
- (0258)
- Forte number
- 4-27
- Interval vector
- <012111>
| Pair | Interval | Semitones | Interval class |
|---|---|---|---|
| F♯ to A | Minor third | 3 | 3 |
| F♯ to C♯ | Perfect fifth | 7 | 5 |
| F♯ to D♯ | Major sixth | 9 | 3 |
| A to C♯ | Major third | 4 | 4 |
| A to D♯ | Tritone | 6 | 6 |
| C♯ to D♯ | Major second | 2 | 2 |
Where these facts come from
Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a minor 6th applied to the root F♯, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.