F Major Chord
The F major chord consists of the F, A, and C notes. It is the IV chord in the key of C Major.
Contents
PreReqs
Open Position F Major Chord
Here are the open position chord shapes for F major. Note, that although these chords are in open position, most of them do not use open strings, as E, D, G, B, and E are not part of the F major chord (F A C).
| Root Pos. | Barre | 1st Inv. | 2nd Inv. |
|---|---|---|---|
F ||i|-|-|-| C ||i|-|-|-| A ||-|m|-|-| F ||-|-|r|-| ||-|-|-|-| ||-|-|-|-| |
F ||i|-|-|-| C ||i|-|-|-| A ||)|m|-|-| F ||)|-|p|-| C ||)|-|r|-| F ||i|-|-|-| |
F ||i|-|-|-| C ||i|-|-|-| A ||-|m|-|-| F ||-|-|r|-| A o|-|-|-|-| ||-|-|-|-| |
F ||i|-|-|-| C ||i|-|-|-| A ||-|m|-|-| F ||-|-|p|-| C ||-|-|r|-| ||-|-|-|-| |
The first chart shows the typical classical voicing, at least for beginners. Notice how the index finger is used on multiple frets. This is done by flattening the finger and using the fingerprint to cover two or sometimes even three strings.
The next chart is a bit different, using the index on not only the 1st and 2nd strings, but also the 6th. This is done by using a barre chord.
First Barre Chord
Barre chords are formed by flattening the index finger and using the entire finger to fret all or most of the strings. They are akin to moving the nut (or a capo) up the fretboard. Your other 3 fingers are able to form whatever shape is necessary to make virtually any chord desired. Barre chords are covered in depth in a later lesson.
This F chord contains a standard root-fifth-octave power chord in the bass, which gives it a stronger rock feel.
Harmonic Theory: Sub-Dominant Chord
F is the 4th note of the C Major scale. The F Major chord is thus called the IV chord (that's the roman numeral four, not the letters 'i' and 'v'). Its notes are the perfect 4th, major 6th, and octave (tonic) above the tonic note of the key.
C F A C - Notes
B--1----6----10---13-
|-P4-| \
|---M6----| > distances from the tonic note of the C Major key
|-----Oct------| /
U \
|-M3-| > distances from the root note of the F major chord
|---P5----| /
The transition from a I chord to a IV chord involves moving the 3rd of the I chord (E) up a half step to become the root of the IV chord (F) and the 5th of the I (G) up a whole step to become the 3rd of the IV (A). This is a parallel stepwise motion for a minor third interval to a major third interval. That means each note moves one note in the scale in the same direction. For example, in the key of C Major, the E and G of the I chord are a minor third. They ascend to F and A, a major third. The root of the I chord is the 5th of the IV chord, requiring no change.
The transition from IV to I is just the reverse. Stepwise motion along a scale is natural progression, in either direction. The main tension is resolving the leading tone; however, neither the I nor IV chords have the leading tone. Overall, moving from the I to IV chord creates tension, simply because we are moving away from the tonic chord. Similarly, the IV - I progression tends to reduce tension. However, the IV chord is not as tense as the V chord, and the IV - I resolution is not as strong as V - I.
All of the notes of the IV chord are 1 step away from the notes of the V chord. This makes the IV chord a natural choice to progress into the V chord, giving it a pre-dominant function in terms of harmony. Tension increases from the I to the IV, then further from the IV to the V.
C F/C C I IV I E--0-----1------0---- B--1-----1------1---- G--0-----2------0---- D--2-----3------2---- A--3-----3------3---- E--------------------
Here we can hear the transition from I to IV and back to I. Rather peaceful, yes?
C F/C G/B C I IV V I E--0-----1------3-----0---- B--1-----1------0-----1---- G--0-----2------0-----0---- D--2-----3------0-----2---- A--3-----3------2-----3---- E--------------------------
And here is I - IV - V - I, a very basic chord progression. You can feel the tension increasing through the progression, finally relieved at the final I chord.
Notice I'm using inversions for the IV and V chord here. This is to keep the bassline rather static. When the bass jumps around too much, it's easy to focus on the bass note movement rather than the harmonic content of each chord. This is better voice leading as well.
Homework
- Know that the F major chord consists of (F A C).
- Know that F major is the IV chord in the key of C Major, and that it has a sub-dominant function.
- Know that the IV chord is called the sub-dominant and can resolve to tonic or transition to dominant to increase tension.
- Learn the shapes for the open position F Major chord and get comfortable playing them.
- Practice the sample progressions, taking note of the tension that the IV chord creates.
- Compare the IV - I resolution to the V - I resolution.