Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger flat across all 6 strings at the 1st fret — the barre.
- Middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string (3rd).
- Ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (5th).
- Little finger on the 3rd fret of the D string (4th).
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (low E) | fret 1 | index | F2 | root |
| 5th (A) | fret 3 | ring | C3 | fifth |
| 4th (D) | fret 3 | little | F3 | root |
| 3rd (G) | fret 2 | middle | A3 | third |
| 2nd (B) | fret 1 | index | C4 | fifth |
| 1st (high E) | fret 1 | index | F4 | root |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play F
The same 3 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- xx3565A shape at the 3rd fret · four fingers
- x-8-10-10-10-8A barre at the 8th fret and three more fingers
- x87565A barre at the 5th fret and three more fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
xx3211 is F without the full barre — fewer strings, the same chord. It is a real voicing, not a cheat, and plenty of players keep using it.
Or use a capo: clamp it at the 1st fret and play the E shape. Every string is raised 1 semitone, so that open shape now sounds F.
Holding it cleanly
The barre is the hard part. Lay the index finger just behind the 1st fret, roll it slightly onto its bony outer edge, and keep the thumb behind the neck opposite it. Pluck the barred strings one at a time: a buzz or a dead string means the finger is not flat there yet.
The notes in F
A major chord is built from the root (1), 3 and 5 of its root’s major scale. From F that gives F – A – C. Bright and settled — the chord a song in a major key comes home to.
The same root, other chords: Fm, F7, Fmaj7, Fm7, Fsus2, Fsus4, Fdim, Faug.
Keys that use F
F is built from the notes of 6 keys. Each link is that key’s full set of guitar chords — the ones that sound right next to this one.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a F chord?
F major is three notes: F – A – C — the root, 3 and 5 of the F major scale. On guitar the shape 133211 sounds F2, C3, F3, A3, C4 and F4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play F on guitar?
The usual shape is 133211 — a barre chord at the 1st fret, with a barre at the 1st fret and three more fingers. If that is out of reach for now, xx3211 is the same chord without the full barre. Or put a capo on the 1st fret and play the E shape, which then sounds F.
What is the difference between F and Fm?
One note. F has a major third (A); Fm lowers it a semitone. That single fret is the whole difference between the two sounds.
What keys is F in?
F is one of the seven chords of C major (as IV), F major (as I), B♭ major (as V), A minor (as VI), D minor (as III) and G minor (as VII).