How to play the F minor triad on bass
The F minor triad has 3 notes: F, A♭ and C. Root, minor 3rd and perfect 5th. Move the 3rd down one fret and major becomes minor.
Interval steps: m3 M3 P4. Formula: 1 ♭3 5.
The root, F, is on the 1st fret of the E string and the 8th fret of the A string. On a five-string bass it is also on the 6th fret of the low B string.
F Minor Triad tab: root on the E string
Start on the 1st fret of the E string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 1 to 4 without moving your hand.
G|---------| D|-------3-| A|-----3---| E|-1-4-----|
Notes: F A♭ C F
Fingers: 1 4 3 3
F Minor Triad tab: root on the A string
Start on the 8th fret of the A string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 8 to 11 without moving your hand.
G|---------10-| D|------10----| A|-8-11-------| E|------------|
Notes: F A♭ C F
Fingers: 1 4 3 3
Two octaves from the E string
Start on the 1st fret of the E string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 1 to 11 with 1 position shift.
G|---------------10-| D|------------10----| A|-------8-11-------| E|-1-4-8------------|
Notes: F A♭ C F A♭ C F
Fingers: 1 4 1 1 4 3 3
On a 5-string bass: root on the B string
Start on the 6th fret of the B string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 6 to 9 without moving your hand.
G|---------| D|---------| A|-------8-| E|-----8---| B|-6-9-----|
Notes: F A♭ C F
Fingers: 1 4 3 3
Notes and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval | Frets above the root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | Root | 0 |
| ♭3 | A♭ | Minor 3rd | 3 |
| 5 | C | Perfect 5th | 7 |
When to use it
Any minor chord. Alternate major and minor triads on the same root to train your ear on the 3rd.
How to practise it
Start with the metronome at 60 BPM in 8th notes, ascending and descending, until you can play it without looking. Raise the tempo 5 BPM at a time with the speed builder, then switch on memory mode so the tab hides after the first loop. Earn bronze for playing it through, silver at 4 notes a second, and gold at that speed from memory.
The minor triad in every key
Printable chart of all 12 keys: PDF · print page · every pattern in one PDF