Chords in the Key of F Major
Every diatonic triad and seventh chord in F major, with the progressions built from them. Free. No sign-up.
Key facts
Diatonic triads
Seventh chords
Stack one more scale tone on each triad and you get the seventh chords — same key, more color.
Common progressions in F major
I–V–vi–IV
F – C – Dm – Bb
The four-chord pop loop — a huge share of modern radio runs on it.
I–IV–V
F – Bb – C
The three-chord workhorse behind blues, folk, and early rock and roll.
ii–V–I
Gm – C – F
The jazz cadence — the strongest pull back home in the key.
I–vi–IV–V
F – Dm – Bb – C
The '50s doo-wop turnaround, still everywhere in ballads.
How the key of F major works
F Major carries one flat (Bb). The scale runs F–G–A–Bb–C–D–E, and stacking every other note of that scale builds the seven chords above — every chord tone comes from those same seven notes.
D Minor is the relative minor: identical key signature, identical seven chords. A song that treats Dm — the vi chord here — as home base is in D minor, even though its chord inventory matches this page exactly.
The parallel minor, F Minor, keeps the same root but flattens the third, sixth, and seventh — its signature shifts to four flats (Bb, Eb, Ab and Db). Borrowing chords across that line is where a lot of songwriting color comes from.
Playing F major on guitar
In F major, Am, C and Dm are open chords you can play in first position. F, Gm and Bb need a barre shape or a capo. The diminished Edim is usually played as a small three-string shape rather than a full chord.
A capo is the shortcut. With one, the I–V–vi–IV progression (F – C – Dm – Bb) sounds in F major while you finger open shapes:
Capo 10 · play it as G major
G – D – Em – C
4 of 4 shapes are open chords.
Capo 3 · play it as D major
D – A – Bm – G
3 of 4 shapes are open chords.
Capo 5 · play it as C major
C – G – Am – F
3 of 4 shapes are open chords.
Where F major sits on the neck
The root, F, is fret 1 on the low E string and fret 8 on the A string, the two places most major barre shapes and scale positions in F major are built from.
Five open strings are in the key: low E, A, D, G and high E. Watch the open B (fret 1 gives C).
One note separates F major from each neighbour on the circle of fifths. Raise Bb to B and you are in C major; lower E to Eb and you are in Bb major. Those are the two keys a song in F major most often modulates to.
Songs in F major
From the song library, these recordings sound in F major:
- Yesterday, The Beatles (capo 5)
- Free Fallin', Tom Petty (capo 3)
Keep practicing
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