Interested in learning the F Major Scale?
The F Major Scale is one of the most commonly used scales in music. It’s a great scale to know if you want to play blues, rock, country, or jazz music.
In this article, we’ll teach you how to play the F Major Scale on guitar. You’ll also learn some chords and chord progressions that are common in the key of F Major.
Read the complete article below to start learning how to play the F Major Scale today!
Introduction To F Major Scale
The F Major scale is great for various genres like ballads, rock songs, country, and pop. As per the Austrian composer Schubert, it is a key of “complaisance & calm,” while Helmholtz, a classical composer, used the terms “Peace, joy, light, passing regret, the religious sentiment.” to describe the sound of the scale.
It is the most commonly used key by Taylor Swift. Some people also describe it as the friend to turn to when they need positivity and good vibes. It is also the home key for many instruments like the English horn and the basset horn. The list of symphonies in F major is attached here.
Notes Of F Major
The notes of the F Major scale are given by the major scale formula {W W H W W W H}.
- 1st Note – Root – F
- 2nd Note – M2 – G
- 3rd Note – M3 – A
- 4th Note – P4 – Bb
- 5th Note – P5 – C
- 6th Note – M6 – D
- 7th Note – M7 – E
Hence the notes of the F Major scale are {F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F(O)}, where F(O) is the F note one octave above the root.
There is one accidental (Flat) denoted by the flat symbol in the key signature of F major and no sharp. Hence it is played on the piano using six white keys and one black key. The Piano Keyboard diagram is shown below.
As you know, F is the next note to C in the counterclockwise direction on the Circle of Fifths.
The 7th note, E, is only a half step below the tonic at the M7 interval, earning the name the leading tone in music theory. The Major 7th interval is a very dissonant interval with a strong urge to resolve to the octave.
Scale Degrees
| Intervals | Root | M2 | M3 | P4 | P5 | M6 | M7 | P8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scale Degrees | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 1(8) |
| Notes | F | G | A | Bb | C | D | E | F(O) |
F Major Scale On The Treble And Bass Clef:
Treble Clef:
Bass Clef:
F Major Scale Guitar Positions
Linked CAGED Patterns.
You can see the entire major scale in a single line from the 1st fret of the 6th string to the 13th fret.
Five CAGED Patterns
Guitar Tabs For The CAGED Patterns
E Shaped Scale Pattern
D Shaped Pattern
C Shaped Pattern
A Shaped Pattern
G Shaped Pattern
Fingering Arrangement For Scale Patterns
What Are The Chords Of F Major?
| Scale Degrees | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chord Designation | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | viidim |
| Scale Degree Names | Tonic | Super-Tonic | Mediant | Sub-Dominant | Dominant | Sub-Mediant | Leading Tone |
| Chord Names | F | Gm | Am | Bb | C | Dm | Edim |
| Chord Quality | Major | minor | minor | Major | Major | minor | dim |
The following triad chords result from the F major scale.
- Three Major chords – I, IV, and V – F, Bb, and C Major chords.
- Three minor chords – ii, iii, and vi – Gm, Am, and Dm.
- One diminished chord, the vii° – Edim.
- Dominant Chord – 5th scale degree – C Major.
- Subdominant Chord – 4th Scale Degree – Bb Major.
What Are The Notes In These Chords?
| Scale Degrees | Intervals | Chord Notes | Chord Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R – F – M3 – A – m3 – C | F A C | F |
| 2 | R – G – m3 – Bb – M3 – D | G Bb D | Gm |
| 3 | R – A – m3 – C – M3 – E | A C E | Am |
| 4 | R – Bb – M3 – D – m3 – F | BB D F | Bb |
| 5 | R – C – M3 – E – m3 – G | C E G | C |
| 6 | R – D – m3 – F – M3 – A | D F A | Dm |
| 7 | R – E – m3 – G – m3 – Bb | E G Bb | Edim |
7th Chords Of F Major Scale
| Scale Degrees | Chord Name | Roman N Designation | Chord Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FMaj7 | IM7 | F - A - C - E |
| 2 | Gm7 | iim7 | G - Bb - D - F |
| 3 | Am7 | iiim7 | A - C - E - G |
| 4 | BbMaj7 | IVM7 | Bb - D - F - A |
| 5 | C7 | V7 | C – E – G - Bb |
| 6 | Dm7 | vim7 | D – F – A - C |
| 7 | Em7b5 | viiø7 | E – G – Bb - D |
Relative Minor & Parallel Minor Of F Major
Relative Minor Scale: D Minor Scale with seven notes {D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C}. Relative minor scales have the same notes as their relative major scales and hence the same key signatures.
Parallel minor: F minor Scale with the note names {F G Ab Bb C Db Eb.}. It has four flat notes.
The Modes Of The F Major Scale
The seven diatonic modes of the F Major Scale are:
- F Ionian.
- G Dorian.
- A Phrygian.
- B Flat Lydian.
- C Mixolydian.
- D Aeolian.
- E Locrian.
Songs In The Key Of F Major
The major songs in the key of F major are:
- “Come Together” by the Beatles.
- “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce.
- “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift.
- “Yesterday” by the Beatles.
- “Like A Prayer” by Madonna.
- “The Scientist” by Coldplay.
- “Don’t Stop Me Now” by the Queen.
- “Bed of Roses” by Bon Jovi.
- “Your Body Is a Wonderland” by John Mayer.
- “The Wind Cries Mary” by Jimi Hendrix.
- “Call Me” by Al Green.
- “Bulls on Parade” by Rage Against the Machine.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve looked at the notes of the F Major scale, some guitar positions for playing the scale, and the chords that belong to this key. We’ve also looked at the relative minor (Dm) and parallel minor (Fm) of F Major. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.
