The Key of F Major for Guitar
The key of F major has the notes F G A B♭ C D E, 1 flat (B♭), and its relative minor is D minor.
- Chords
- F Gm Am B♭ C Dm Edim
- Main three
- F B♭ C
- Key signature of F major
- 1 flat (B♭)
Chords in the key
Chords in F major · moved from F major · · tap to hear1 home chord of the key
35 on the 3rd and 5th
2 other degrees
Now sounding
Key · Capo
Showing: F major (page key)No capo: you play F major shapes as written.
Fretboard · F major scale
Tap a dot to hear it; it lights amber while it sounds. Brightest dot = 1, the root (F). Lighter grey = 3 and 5. High e on top, frets 0 to 12, no capo. Swipe the board sideways for frets 7 to 12.
Progression · I–IV–V–I
Stopped. Four beats per chord, strum D D U D.
Chords in F major, with notes
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | F | F A C |
| ii | Gm | G B♭ D |
| iii | Am | A C E |
| IV | B♭ | B♭ D F |
| V | C | C E G |
| vi | Dm | D F A |
| vii° | Edim | E G B♭ |
Seventh chords in F major
Add the next scale note a third above each triad and you get the four-note seventh chords of the key.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | Fmaj7 | F A C E |
| ii7 | Gm7 | G B♭ D F |
| iii7 | Am7 | A C E G |
| IVmaj7 | B♭maj7 | B♭ D F A |
| V7 | C7 | C E G B♭ |
| vi7 | Dm7 | D F A C |
| viiø7 | Em7♭5 | E G B♭ D |
Shapes for the 7th chords of F major: C7 chord.
Shapes and voicings for every chord: chord directory.
Why F major has 1 flat (B♭)
Every major scale uses the same step pattern: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. Start that pattern on F and the notes land on F G A B♭ C D E, so the key needs B♭. On one string a whole step is two frets and a half step is one fret, up to the octave at fret 12.
F major scale in first position
Every note of F major in frets 0 to 4. Play one finger per fret: fret 1 = finger 1, fret 2 = finger 2, fret 3 = finger 3, fret 4 = finger 4, open strings need no finger. Start on the lowest root, F on the 6th string, fret 1, and play up string by string.
Tap a dot to hear it. High e on top; the brightest dot is the root.
Past fret 4: F major scale in every position up the neck, with play-along and a root drone. Pentatonic, blues and the modes work over these chords too: see all guitar scales.
Playing in F on guitar
In F the home chord is the hard one. Am, C and Dm are open, but F, B♭ and Gm need barres or small shapes. Five of the six open strings are in the scale; only the open B string is out, because the key has B♭.
Small shapes keep the key playable before the full barre: F as x x 3 2 1 1 (index across two strings), B♭ as x x 3 3 3 1 (ring finger flat on three strings, index on the high e), and C7 (x 3 2 3 1 0) for a V chord that leans back to F.
The other way out is capo 3 with D shapes: D, G, A, Bm and Em sound as F, B♭, C, Dm and Gm, and only Bm is a barre. It changes the voicing to a brighter, higher sound than barre chords at fret 1.
Common progressions in F major
| Degrees | Chords | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| I–IV–V–I | F B♭ C F | F B♭ C F: two barre chords and an open C; with capo 3 the hand plays D G A instead. |
| I–V–vi–IV | F C Dm B♭ | F C Dm B♭: the pop loop in F, where C and Dm are open and F and B♭ need a barre or a small shape. |
| I–vi–IV–V | F Dm B♭ C | F Dm B♭ C: the 1950s loop. Dm and C ring open between the two barre chords. |
| vi–IV–I–V | Dm B♭ F C | Dm B♭ F C: the pop loop from D minor, the relative minor, which starts on an open chord. |
| ii–V–I | Gm C F F | Gm C F: the ii–V–I in F, often with C7 (x 3 2 3 1 0) as the V. |
Pick one in the player above and press Play to strum along, four beats per chord.
Capo and F major
Capo 3 with D shapes is the classic way to play F, B♭ and C without barre chords. Capo 1 with E shapes and capo 5 with C shapes also sound in F; C shapes at capo 5 suit a second guitar part.
| Capo | F shapes sound in |
|---|---|
| Fret 1 | F♯ major |
| Fret 2 | G major |
| Fret 3 | A♭ major |
| Fret 4 | A major |
| Fret 5 | B♭ major |
| Fret 6 | B major |
| Fret 7 | C major |
Song in another key? Capo for F major songs: the capo fret and easier shapes, or any other key.
New to the capo? How to use a capo: where to clamp it and why the same shapes sound in a new key.
Relative minor: D minor
D minor uses the same seven notes, starting on D, the 6th note of the scale. Its chord is the vi in the row above. Songs often move between the two keys without changing a single chord shape.
Songs in F major
- Hey Jude · The Beatles
- Free Fallin' · Tom Petty
Recorded in F. With capo 3 you can play along using D shapes.
Have a recording and no idea what key it is in? Find the key of a song from the audio file or by letting it listen; it also gives the chords to play and the easiest capo.
Related keys
- The key of D minorrelative
- The key of F minorparallel
- The key of B♭ majorcircle, one step left
- The key of C majorcircle, one step right
See how every key connects: interactive circle of fifths.
FAQ about F major
What chords are in the key of F major?
F, Gm, Am, B♭, C, Dm and Edim. F (I), B♭ (IV) and C (V) are the main three; only Am, C and Dm are open chords.
How do I play in F major without barre chords?
Put a capo on fret 3 and play D major shapes: D, G and A sound as F, B♭ and C. Or use the small F (x x 3 2 1 1) and small B♭ (x x 3 3 3 1).
Why does F major have a B flat?
From F, the fourth note must be a half step above A. That note is B♭, one fret above A, not B natural.
What is the relative minor of F major?
D minor. It shares the one flat, B♭, and its home chord Dm is an open chord.
Next steps in F major
- Progressions in F majorgenerate, hear and loop chord progressions in this key
- F major pentatonicfive notes for melodies and fills
- Open F (FACFCF)the open strings ring an F chord
- Guitar tunertune up before you play along