Mandolin · key of F major

Chords in the key of F major

The seven chords in the key of F major are F, Gm, Am, B♭, C, Dm and Edim. F, B♭ and C are the major chords (I, IV and V), Gm, Am and Dm are the minor chords (ii, iii and vi), and Edim is diminished (vii°). Its relative minor is D minor, which uses the same seven chords.

Key

Scale

The chords of F major
Numeral	Triad	Notes	Seventh chord	Notes	Number	Role
I	Fhome	F A C	Fmaj7home	F A C E	1	tonic
ii	Gmrestless	G B♭ D	Gm7restless	G B♭ D F	2m	supertonic
iii	Amhalf-light	A C E	Am7half-light	A C E G	3m	mediant
IV	B♭the door	B♭ D F	B♭maj7the door	B♭ D F A	4	subdominant
V	Cthe pull	C E G	C7the pull	C E G B♭	5	dominant
vi	Dmthe shadow	D F A	Dm7the shadow	D F A C	6m	submediant
vii°	Edimthe edge	E G B♭	Em7♭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

LibraryMandolin · Standard

I · tonic

Gm

LibraryMandolin · Standard

ii · supertonic

Am

LibraryMandolin · Standard

iii · mediant

B♭

LibraryMandolin · Standard

IV · subdominant

C

LibraryMandolin · Standard

V · dominant

Dm

LibraryMandolin · Standard

vi · submediant

Edim

LibraryMandolin · 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 mandolin. 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 has the same notes and the same seven chords as F major, starting from D. 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 mandolin. A capo lets you play it with the open shapes of an easier key:

Capo 3, the shapes of D major: D, Em, F♯m, G, A, Bm and C♯dim
Capo 5, 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 one flat: B♭. 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 mandolin neck, and the F major pentatonic.

Keys nearby

On the circle of fifths, C 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 banjo.