The Key of F♯ Major for Guitar
The key of F♯ major has the notes F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E♯, 6 sharps (F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯), and its relative minor is D♯ minor.
- Chords
- F♯ G♯m A♯m B C♯ D♯m E♯dim
- Main three
- F♯ B C♯
- Key signature of F♯ major
- 6 sharps (F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯)
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 | G♯m | G♯ B D♯ |
| iii | A♯m | A♯ C♯ E♯ |
| IV | B | B D♯ F♯ |
| V | C♯ | C♯ E♯ G♯ |
| vi | D♯m | D♯ F♯ A♯ |
| vii° | E♯dim | 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 | F♯maj7 | F♯ A♯ C♯ E♯ |
| ii7 | G♯m7 | G♯ B D♯ F♯ |
| iii7 | A♯m7 | A♯ C♯ E♯ G♯ |
| IVmaj7 | Bmaj7 | B D♯ F♯ A♯ |
| V7 | C♯7 | C♯ E♯ G♯ B |
| vi7 | D♯m7 | D♯ F♯ A♯ C♯ |
| viiø7 | E♯m7♭5 | E♯ G♯ B D♯ |
Shapes and voicings for every chord: chord directory.
Why F♯ major has 6 sharps (F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯)
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 F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ and E♯. 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 2, 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
F♯ major has no open chords, and only one of the six open strings, B, is a note of the scale. Without a capo every chord is a barre: F♯ as the E-shape barre at fret 2, B as the A-shape barre at fret 2, C♯ as the A-shape barre at fret 4.
The seventh note is E♯. On the guitar it is the same fret as F, but the key needs one of each letter, so F becomes E♯ next to F♯. That is also why the diminished chord is spelt E♯dim and not Fdim.
The capo makes the key easy: at fret 2 the E major shapes sound in F♯, at fret 4 the D shapes do.
Same sounds, other spelling: The key of G♭ major (6 flats (B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭)).
Common progressions in F♯ major
| Degrees | Chords | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| I–IV–V–I | F♯ B C♯ F♯ | F♯ B C♯ F♯: with capo 2 they are played as E, A and B, the I, IV and V shapes of E major. |
| I–V–vi–IV | F♯ C♯ D♯m B | F♯ C♯ D♯m B: the pop loop in F♯; capo 6 turns it into the C G Am F shapes. |
| vi–IV–I–V | D♯m B F♯ C♯ | D♯m B F♯ C♯: the same chords from the relative minor; capo 4 gives Bm G D A shapes. |
| I–vi–IV–V | F♯ D♯m B C♯ | F♯ D♯m B C♯: the 1950s loop, all barre chords without a capo. |
Pick one in the player above and press Play to strum along, four beats per chord.
Capo and F♯ major
Capo 2 with E shapes, capo 4 with D shapes and capo 6 with C shapes all sound in F♯. E shapes keep the low open-string sound of E; D shapes at capo 4 sound brighter.
| Capo | F♯ shapes sound in |
|---|---|
| Fret 1 | G major |
| Fret 2 | A♭ major |
| Fret 3 | A major |
| Fret 4 | B♭ major |
| Fret 5 | B major |
| Fret 6 | C major |
| Fret 7 | D♭ 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.
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 D♭ 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 sharp major?
F♯, G♯m, A♯m, B, C♯, D♯m and E♯dim. F♯ (I), B (IV) and C♯ (V) are the three main chords.
Why does F sharp major have an E sharp?
A major scale uses each letter once. The note a half step below F♯ sounds like F, but the letter E is the one still free, so it is written E♯.
Is F sharp major the same as G flat major?
They sound the same and use the same frets. F♯ major is written with six sharps, G♭ major with six flats. Chords and fingerings are identical; only the written names change.
How do I play in F sharp major with a capo?
Capo 2 and play the E major shapes (E, A, B), or capo 4 and play the D major shapes (D, G, A).
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
- Guitar tunertune up before you play along