Banjo · key of F♯ major

Chords in the key of F♯ major

The seven chords in the key of F♯ major are F♯, G♯m, A♯m, B, C♯, D♯m and E♯dim. F♯, B and C♯ are the major chords (I, IV and V), G♯m, A♯m and D♯m are the minor chords (ii, iii and vi), and E♯dim is diminished (vii°). Its relative minor is D♯ minor, which uses the same seven chords. The same key is sometimes written G♭ major.

Key

Scale

The chords of F♯ major
Numeral	Triad	Notes	Seventh chord	Notes	Number	Role
I	F♯home	F♯ A♯ C♯	F♯maj7home	F♯ A♯ C♯ E♯	1	tonic
ii	G♯mrestless	G♯ B D♯	G♯m7restless	G♯ B D♯ F♯	2m	supertonic
iii	A♯mhalf-light	A♯ C♯ E♯	A♯m7half-light	A♯ C♯ E♯ G♯	3m	mediant
IV	Bthe door	B D♯ F♯	Bmaj7the door	B D♯ F♯ A♯	4	subdominant
V	C♯the pull	C♯ E♯ G♯	C♯7the pull	C♯ E♯ G♯ B	5	dominant
vi	D♯mthe shadow	D♯ F♯ A♯	D♯m7the shadow	D♯ F♯ A♯ C♯	6m	submediant
vii°	E♯dimthe edge	E♯ G♯ B	E♯m7♭5the edge	E♯ G♯ B D♯	7°	leading tone

Sound

Strum or arpeggiate any chord, tap a note to hear it, drag the strip under a picture to play it further up the neck, or pick another inversion. Library opens the chord there, with every other way to play it.

F♯

LibraryBanjo · Standard

I · tonic

G♯m

LibraryBanjo · Standard

ii · supertonic

A♯m

LibraryBanjo · Standard

iii · mediant

B

LibraryBanjo · Standard

IV · subdominant

C♯

LibraryBanjo · Standard

V · dominant

D♯m

LibraryBanjo · Standard

vi · submediant

E♯dim

LibraryBanjo · Standard

vii° · leading tone

Chord progressions in F♯ major

Press a chord to hear it and see its shape, or Play to hear the progression on banjo. The colours say what each chord does in the key.

Sound Pattern Tempo85

↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.

Colours

homethe pullthe doorthe shadowrestlesshalf-light

What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.

The three-chord trick

I | IV | V | I

Key Chord chart

The chords of countless folk, country, blues and rock and roll songs.

The pop progression

I | V | vi | IV

Key Chord chart

I–V–vi–IV, behind a great many hits since the 1980s.

The fifties progression

I | vi | IV | V

Key Chord chart

I–vi–IV–V, the doo-wop changes.

The pop progression from its minor chord

vi | IV | I | V

Key Chord chart

vi–IV–I–V: the pop progression started on its minor chord, which gives it a sadder sound.

The royal road

IV | V | iii | vi

Key Chord chart

IV–V–iii–vi, a favourite of Japanese pop.

ii–V–I

ii7 | V7 | Imaj7 | Imaj7

Key Chord chart

The turnaround of jazz, in seventh chords.

The relative minor: D♯ minor

D♯ minor (also written E♭ minor) has the same notes and the same seven chords as F♯ major, starting from E♭. A song in one often moves to the other. The parallel minor, F♯ minor, starts on the same note with a different set of chords.

Play it with a capo

F♯ major takes barre chords on banjo. A capo lets you play it with the open shapes of an easier key:

Capo 4, the shapes of D major: D, Em, F♯m, G, A, Bm and C♯dim
Capo 6, the shapes of C major: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim

The F♯ major scale and key signature

The notes of F♯ major are F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯. Its key signature has six sharps: F♯, G♯, A♯, C♯, D♯ and E♯. Each chord of the key is built from these notes, a third apart: a chord on every note of the scale. See the F♯ major scale on the banjo neck, and the F♯ major pentatonic.

Keys nearby

On the circle of fifths, D♭ major and B major sit on either side of F♯ major. Each shares six of its seven notes, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.

Every key

C D♭D E♭E F F♯G A♭A B♭B

C minor C♯ minor D minor E♭ minor E minor F minor F♯ minor G minor G♯ minor A minor B♭ minor B minor

All twenty-four on one page: chords in every key. To print these chords, open them as a chord chart, or make your own in the chord chart maker. This key on guitar, bass, ukulele and mandolin.