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.
- IF2010the home chord
- iiGm0231leads to V
- iiiAm2000a softer stand-in for I
- IVB♭3211the step away from home
- VC0003pulls back to I
- viDm2210the relative minor
- vii°Edim0401rare — 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 ukulele they are 2010, 3211 and 0003: F with two fingers, B♭ with a barre at the 1st fret and two more fingers and C with one finger.
The easy way: a capo at the 3rd fret
F major is not a friendly key on ukulele — B♭ needs a barre or a fourth finger. Clamp a capo at the 3rd fret and play the chords of D major instead: every shape sounds 3 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.
Three chords, and thousands of folk, blues, country and rock songs.
The four-chord pop progression.
The 1950s doo-wop turnaround.
The jazz cadence: two steps toward home, then home.
The sevenths
Four-note versions of the same chords. C7 is the one worth learning first: it is C with one note added, and it pulls toward F harder than the plain chord does.
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 D minor, which has the same notes and the same chords with a different home.
The nearest keys are a fifth either side: C 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), Gm (ii), Am (iii), B♭ (IV), C (V), Dm (vi), Edim (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?
D 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 D minor. A song can move between them without any chord sounding out of place.
Is F major an easy key on ukulele?
One everyday chord — B♭ — needs a barre or four fingers on ukulele. The usual way round that is a capo at the 3rd fret, playing the chord shapes of D major.