Chords in the Key of F♯ Major — Guitar Chord Chart

The key of F♯ major has 6 sharps, and its seven chords are F♯, G♯m, A♯m, B, C♯, D♯m, E♯dim. Start with F♯, B, C♯: they are the three a song in F♯ major cannot do without. Every diagram below plays when you press it.

The seven chords of F♯ major

One chord on each note of the scale, built from the scale’s own notes. Capital numerals are major chords, small ones minor, and ° is diminished.

IF♯244322the home chord
iiG♯m466444leads to V
iiiA♯mx13321a softer stand-in for I
IVBx24442the step away from home
VC♯x46664pulls back to I
viD♯mxx1342the relative minor
vii°E♯dim12310xrare — a passing chord

The three to learn first

F♯ is home — the chord the song starts from and ends on. B is the step away, and C♯ is the one that pulls back home. On guitar they are 244322, x24442 and x46664: F♯ with a barre at the 2nd fret and three more fingers, B with a barre at the 2nd fret and three more fingers and C♯ with a barre at the 4th fret and three more fingers.

The easy way: a capo at the 4th fret

F♯ major is not a friendly key on guitar — F♯, G♯m, A♯m, B, C♯ and D♯m need a barre or a fourth finger. Clamp a capo at the 4th fret and play the chords of D major instead: every shape sounds 4 semitones higher, so the D shape sounds F♯, the G shape sounds B and the A shape sounds C♯.

Progressions in F♯ major

The orders these chords are most often played in. Press play to hear each one strummed, a bar to a chord.

I – IV – VF♯ – B – C♯

Three chords, and thousands of folk, blues, country and rock songs.

I – V – vi – IVF♯ – C♯ – D♯m – B

The four-chord pop progression.

I – vi – IV – VF♯ – D♯m – B – C♯

The 1950s doo-wop turnaround.

ii – V – IG♯m – C♯7 – F♯

The jazz cadence: two steps toward home, then home.

The sevenths

Four-note versions of the same chords. C♯7 is the one worth learning first: it is C♯ with one note added, and it pulls toward F♯ harder than the plain chord does.

V7C♯7x46464the dominant with its seventh — the strongest pull home
Imaj7F♯maj7243322home, softened
ii7G♯m7464444the jazz player’s way into V7

The scale behind the chords

F♯ major is the notes F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯. Every chord above uses only those seven notes, which is why they sound as if they belong together — and why a melody in F♯ major fits over any of them. Its relative minor is E♭ minor, which has the same notes and the same chords with a different home.

The nearest keys are a fifth either side: D♭ major and B major. Each shares six of this key’s seven notes, which is why songs change key to them so often.

Frequently asked questions

What chords are in the key of F♯ major?

F♯ (I), G♯m (ii), A♯m (iii), B (IV), C♯ (V), D♯m (vi), E♯dim (vii°). They are the seven chords you get by stacking thirds on each note of the F♯ major scale — F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯ — using only notes of that scale.

What are the three main chords in F♯ major?

F♯, B and C♯ — the chords on the first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. F♯ is home, B moves away from it and C♯ pulls back. A great many songs use only these three.

What is the relative minor of F♯ major?

E♭ minor. The two keys share all seven notes and all seven chords, in a different order: what is vi in F♯ major is the home chord of E♭ minor. A song can move between them without any chord sounding out of place.

Is F♯ major an easy key on guitar?

6 of its six everyday chords — F♯, G♯m, A♯m, B, C♯ and D♯m — need a barre or four fingers on guitar. The usual way round that is a capo at the 4th fret, playing the chord shapes of D major.

Guitar Chords in the Key of F♯ Major