My Chord Finder× × 3 2 1 ×
Three-string version
Strings 4, 3 and 2 only: one finger per note and no barre.
F – A – C
- D (4): finger 3, fret 3 — sounds F.
- G (3): finger 2, fret 2 — sounds A.
- B (2): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds C.
THE KEY OF F
Guitar Chords in F
The key of F major has seven chords: F, Gm, Am, B♭, C, Dm and Edim. F and B♭ are barre chords in this key, so the page starts with five ways to play F itself, then gives the rest of the key, its progressions and its seventh chords.
Five ways to play F major
Every shape below sounds the same three notes: F, A and C. They differ in how much work the barre finger does, so pick the route that fits your hand today and move up the list when the shapes ring.
× × 3 2 1 1
Small barre
The index finger lies across the top two strings at fret 1.
F – A – C – F
- D (4): finger 3, fret 3 — sounds F.
- G (3): finger 2, fret 2 — sounds A.
- B (2): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds C.
- high E (1): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds F.
1 3 3 2 1 1
Full barre
The standard shape: the index finger holds all six strings at fret 1.
F – A – C – F
- low E (6): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds F.
- A (5): finger 3, fret 3 — sounds C.
- D (4): finger 4, fret 3 — sounds F.
- G (3): finger 2, fret 2 — sounds A.
- B (2): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds C.
- high E (1): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds F.
Up the neck, when you want a higher sound
× × 3 5 6 5
D form at fret 3
The D shape moved to fret 3: strings 4 to 1 only, no barre.
A – C – F
- D (4): finger 1, fret 3 — sounds F.
- G (3): finger 2, fret 5 — sounds C.
- B (2): finger 4, fret 6 — sounds F.
- high E (1): finger 3, fret 5 — sounds A.
× 8 10 10 10 8
A form at fret 8
The A shape barred at fret 8: the same notes an octave higher.
F – C – F – A
- A (5): finger 1, fret 8 — sounds F.
- D (4): finger 2, fret 10 — sounds C.
- G (3): finger 3, fret 10 — sounds F.
- B (2): finger 4, fret 10 — sounds A.
- high E (1): finger 1, fret 8 — sounds C.
Capo routes to F
A capo lets you keep the open shapes you already know. Put the capo at the fret shown, play the shape in the same way, and the chord that comes out is F.
CAPO 1
E shape
× mute · ○ open · green root · terracotta other chord tones
Numbers show a suggested finger: 1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 pinky. A bar means one finger holds several strings.
Capo on fret 1: play this shape and the chord you hear is F.
Shape 0 2 2 1 0 0 (6 → 1)
CAPO 3
D shape
× mute · ○ open · green root · terracotta other chord tones
Numbers show a suggested finger: 1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 pinky. A bar means one finger holds several strings.
Capo on fret 3: play this shape and the chord you hear is F.
Shape × × 0 2 3 2 (6 → 1)
CAPO 5
C shape
× mute · ○ open · green root · terracotta other chord tones
Numbers show a suggested finger: 1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 pinky. A bar means one finger holds several strings.
Capo on fret 5: play this shape and the chord you hear is F.
Shape × 3 2 0 1 0 (6 → 1)
CAPO 8
A shape
× mute · ○ open · green root · terracotta other chord tones
Numbers show a suggested finger: 1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 pinky. A bar means one finger holds several strings.
Capo on fret 8: play this shape and the chord you hear is F.
Shape × 0 2 2 2 0 (6 → 1)
CAPO 10
G shape
× mute · ○ open · green root · terracotta other chord tones
Numbers show a suggested finger: 1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 pinky. A bar means one finger holds several strings.
Capo on fret 10: play this shape and the chord you hear is F.
Shape 3 2 0 0 0 3 (6 → 1)
When F buzzes
F is the shape that asks one finger to hold several strings at once, so its problems are usually barre problems rather than wrong notes. Our beginner lesson has the general checks: pick each intended string on its own, move the fretting finger just behind the fret wire instead of on it, and rebuild the shape slowly before strumming.
Three things help on F in particular. Start from the three-string version until its three notes ring, then add the small barre, and only then the full barre. When you check a barre shape, pick the strings one at a time instead of strumming, so you can hear which one is muted. And if only the lowest strings sound dull on the small barre, that is expected: the small barre only claims the top two strings.
The seven chords in the key of F
Each chord roots on a note of the F major scale (F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E). Scale spelling and the key signature: Open Music Theory: major scales. The order of qualities is the major-key pattern: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished; degrees and their numbering: Open Music Theory: Roman numerals. Two of the seven, F and B♭, are barre shapes here; the versions above and the B♭ chart below are one common fingering each, not the only ones.
| Degree | Chord | Quality | Notes | Frets (6 → 1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | F | Major | F A C | 1 3 3 2 1 1 |
| ii | Gm | Minor | G B♭ D | 3 1 0 0 3 3 |
| iii | Am | Minor | A C E | × 0 2 2 1 0 |
| IV | B♭ | Major | B♭ D F | × 1 3 3 3 1 |
| V | C | Major | C E G | × 3 2 0 1 0 |
| vi | Dm | Minor | D F A | × × 0 2 3 1 |
| vii° | Edim | Diminished | E G B♭ | 0 1 2 0 × × |
I · Major
F
F – A – C · frets 1 3 3 2 1 1 (6 → 1)
- low E (6): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds F.
- A (5): finger 3, fret 3 — sounds C.
- D (4): finger 4, fret 3 — sounds F.
- G (3): finger 2, fret 2 — sounds A.
- B (2): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds C.
- high E (1): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds F.
Strum from string 6 to string 1. Open F in the chord finder ↗
ii · Minor
Gm
G – B♭ – D · frets 3 1 0 0 3 3 (6 → 1)
- low E (6): finger 2, fret 3 — sounds G.
- A (5): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds B♭.
- D (4): open — sounds D.
- G (3): open — sounds G.
- B (2): finger 3, fret 3 — sounds D.
- high E (1): finger 4, fret 3 — sounds G.
Strum from string 6 to string 1. Open Gm in the chord finder ↗
iii · Minor
Am
A – C – E · frets × 0 2 2 1 0 (6 → 1)
- low E (6): do not play.
- A (5): open — sounds A.
- D (4): finger 2, fret 2 — sounds E.
- G (3): finger 3, fret 2 — sounds A.
- B (2): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds C.
- high E (1): open — sounds E.
Strum from string 5 to string 1. Open Am in the chord finder ↗
IV · Major
B♭
B♭ – D – F · frets × 1 3 3 3 1 (6 → 1)
- low E (6): do not play.
- A (5): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds B♭.
- D (4): finger 3, fret 3 — sounds F.
- G (3): finger 3, fret 3 — sounds B♭.
- B (2): finger 3, fret 3 — sounds D.
- high E (1): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds F.
Strum from string 5 to string 1. Open B♭ in the chord finder ↗
V · Major
C
C – E – G · frets × 3 2 0 1 0 (6 → 1)
- low E (6): do not play.
- A (5): finger 3, fret 3 — sounds C.
- D (4): finger 2, fret 2 — sounds E.
- G (3): open — sounds G.
- B (2): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds C.
- high E (1): open — sounds E.
Strum from string 5 to string 1. Open C in the chord finder ↗
vi · Minor
Dm
D – F – A · frets × × 0 2 3 1 (6 → 1)
- low E (6): do not play.
- A (5): do not play.
- D (4): open — sounds D.
- G (3): finger 2, fret 2 — sounds A.
- B (2): finger 3, fret 3 — sounds D.
- high E (1): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds F.
Strum from string 4 to string 1. Open Dm in the chord finder ↗
vii° · Diminished
Edim
E – G – B♭ · frets 0 1 2 0 × × (6 → 1)
- low E (6): open — sounds E.
- A (5): finger 1, fret 1 — sounds B♭.
- D (4): finger 2, fret 2 — sounds E.
- G (3): open — sounds G.
- B (2): do not play.
- high E (1): do not play.
Strum from string 6 to string 3. Open Edim in the chord finder ↗
Charts show frets 1 to 4 unless a "fr" label says otherwise. × do not play the string, ○ open string, and numbered dots are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. Letters under each chart are the notes the played strings sound.
Chord progressions in F
Songs in F come back to the same loops. The generator on this site starts from the patterns below; the roman numerals describe the same movement in any major key.
| Progression | In F | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| I–V–vi–IV | F – C – Dm – B♭ | Hear it ↗ |
| I–vi–IV–V | F – Dm – B♭ – C | Hear it ↗ |
| vi–IV–I–V | Dm – B♭ – F – C | Hear it ↗ |
| I–IV–V–I | F – B♭ – C – F | Hear it ↗ |
| I–V–IV–I | F – C – B♭ – F | Hear it ↗ |
| I–IV–I–V | F – B♭ – F – C | Hear it ↗ |
| I–vi–ii–V | F – Dm – Gm – C | Hear it ↗ |
Each link opens the four chords in the chord progression generator, where you can hear them, change the tempo, edit any chord and copy the link.
Seventh chords in F
Adding one more third above each triad gives the seventh chords of the key. B♭ appears in three of them, which is why F songs often sound like they are leaning towards B♭. Seventh chords: Open Music Theory: seventh chords.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | Fmaj7 | F A C E |
| ii7 | Gm7 | G B♭ D F |
| iii7 | Am7 | A C E G |
| IVmaj7 | B♭maj7 | B♭ D F A |
| V7 | C7 | C E G B♭ |
| vi7 | Dm7 | D F A C |
| viiø7 | Em7♭5 | E G B♭ D |
The finder has shapes for all of these types from any root; for example, Fmaj7 in the chord finder or Em7♭5. The finder names roots with sharp spellings, so the chord written B♭ here appears there as A#.
F and C differ by one note
C major is C, D, E, F, G, A, B. F major is F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E: the same notes with B♭ in place of B. Six of the seven notes are shared, so the two keys can borrow each other's chords and change places without a jolt. The move between them is one fret on one string: B is the open second string, and B♭ is the first fret of that string.
The chords in C page covers the other side of that pair, and guitar scales shows both scales across the neck.
How these chords are built
Every chord here is built from notes of the F major scale. A major triad stacks a major third and a perfect fifth above the root (1, 3, 5); a minor triad lowers the third (1, ♭3, 5), and a diminished triad lowers the third and the fifth (1, ♭3, ♭5). Building a triad on each of the seven notes of the scale is what produces the order of qualities above, and the key signature of F major is the single flat, B♭. Triad formulas: Open Music Theory: triads.
The charts are one suggested fingering per shape. The site's own diagrams are candidate shapes generated from chord tones and fretboard geometry, and no shape here promises a particular fingering for every hand. See About My Chord Finder for how the tools and their results work, and use the contact page if a chart disagrees with your instrument.
Keep exploring
Use the guitar chord finder to compare alternative shapes and hear each chord, guitar scales to see where the F major scale sits across the neck, or the piano chord finder to play the same chords on keys. How to read guitar chord charts explains the diagram conventions, and Guitar Chords in C is the neighbouring key.
Other keys: chords in the key of g, chords in the key of a, chords in the key of d, chords in the key of e and chords in the key of b.