F major chord (F)
F is F, A and C: 1–3–5 built on F. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
1-3-3-2-1-1 · barre · hard
- Notes
- F · A · C
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5
- First shape
- 1-3-3-2-1-1
F on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · F–A–C · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- F · A · C
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5
F on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
2-0-1-0 · open · easy
- Notes
- F · A · C
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5
- First shape
- 2-0-1-0
Changing out of F
Three changes cover most of what F does in songs.
- F → B♭ (IV in F major)
Guitar: F (1-3-3-2-1-1) to B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the D string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the G string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Shared note: F.
Piano: F to B♭: play B♭ in 2nd inversion (F–B♭–D) and F stays under the same finger, while A moves up to B♭ and C up to D. B♭ - F → C (V in F major)
Guitar: F (1-3-3-2-1-1) to C (x-3-2-0-1-0): your ring finger stays put, move the index finger to the B string, 1st fret, the middle finger slides across to the D string at the same fret. C carries over from one chord to the other.
Piano: F to C: play C in 1st inversion (E–G–C) and C stays under the same finger, while F moves down to E and A down to G. C - F → Dm (vi in F major)
Guitar: F (1-3-3-2-1-1) to Dm (x-x-0-2-3-1): your middle finger stays put, your index finger lands on the high E string, 1st fret, move the ring finger to the B string, 3rd fret. Shared notes: F and A.
Piano: F to Dm: play Dm in 1st inversion (F–A–D) and F and A stay under the same fingers, while C moves up to D. Dm
Guitar with a capo: capo 1, E shape; capo 3, D shape; capo 5, C shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 1, E shape; capo 3, D shape; capo 5, C shape; capo 7, B♭ shape.
How F is built
A major chord sounds finished and open. F is the "home" chord of F major and turns up as a bright IV or V in the neighboring keys.
Start on F, count 4 half steps up to A then 3 half steps up to C.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | root | 0 | |
| A | major third | 4 | |
| C | perfect fifth | 7 |
Keys and progressions with F
You'll find F as I in F major, IV in C major and V in B♭ major. On the minor side it's III in D minor, V in B♭ minor (borrowing the raised 7th), VI in A minor and VII in G minor.
I–V–vi–IV in F major runs F – C – Dm – B♭. the pop progression
Play I–IV–V in F major and you get F – B♭ – C – F. the three-chord progression
F – Dm – B♭ – C: that's I–vi–IV–V in the key of F major. the 50s progression
In F major, vi–IV–I–V is Dm – B♭ – F – C. the minor-feel pop loop
Chords close to F
- F and Fm differ by one note: A in F, A♭ in Fm. They share F and C. Fm
- F and Dm differ by one note: C in F, D in Dm. They share F and A. Dm
Chords that share most of their notes with F: Dm7, F7, Fmaj7, Fadd9, F6, F9.
Every F chord
F major chord: questions
What notes are in the F major chord?
F, A and C. F is built 1–3–5 from F: A is the major third and C is the perfect fifth.
How do you play F on guitar?
The usual shape is 1-3-3-2-1-1 (barre). All 4 guitar shapes.
How do you play F on piano?
Play F, A and C with right-hand fingers 1-3-5. F sits just left of the group of three black keys. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play F on ukulele?
2-0-1-0 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is F in?
You'll find F as I in F major, IV in C major and V in B♭ major. On the minor side it's III in D minor, V in B♭ minor (borrowing the raised 7th), VI in A minor and VII in G minor.
What's the difference between F and Fm?
F and Fm differ by one note: A in F, A♭ in Fm. They share F and C.
Every diagram on this page is generated from the notes F, A and C and checked automatically so the sound matches the drawing. Updated September 2026.