F F major chord
- Notes
- F A C
- Formula
- 1 3 5
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 above the root
- Other symbols
- FM, Fmaj
F to A is a major third (4 semitones), A to C is a minor third (3 semitones). The major triad: a major third with a minor third on top, the tonic chord of the key of F major.
F on the piano
Root position from F4: F4, A4, C5. Middle C is C4.
F on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has F as its lowest note.
1 3 3 2 1 1 (low E to high e)
Sounds F2 C3 F3 A3 C4 F4
x 8 10 10 10 8 (low E to high e)
Sounds F3 C4 F4 A4 C5
The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play major chords on other roots.
Inversions of F
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | F A C | F | |
| 1st inversion | A C F | F/A | |
| 2nd inversion | C F A | F/C |
Where F fits
F is I in F major, IV in C major, V in Bb major, V in Bb minor. As V in a minor key it comes from the harmonic minor scale, whose raised seventh degree is this chord's third, A.