Chords in the Key of F (1 flat)
F is one flat, and it costs you the barre up front. The rest of the key, B♭, C, Dm, plays fair. Jazz standards and hymnals love F.
The seven chords
| Degree | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| I | F | major |
| ii | Gm | minor |
| iii | Am | minor |
| IV | B♭ | major |
| V | C | major |
| vi | Dm | minor |
| vii° | E dim | diminished |
F, B♭, and C are the majors, Gm, Am, and Dm the minors, and E diminished gets skipped by most guitar arrangements. Plenty of songs in F never leave F, B♭, C, and Dm.
Common progressions
F, B♭, C. The I, IV, V, and the whole three-chord songbook with it.
F, C, Dm, B♭. The four-chord pop axis. Several decades of hits use exactly this.
Scales to solo with
F major pentatonic is the lead scale for the major-key sound. D minor pentatonic is the same five notes from the relative minor side.
Keep exploring
Relative minor
Parallel minor
Neighbor keys, one accidental away
Key of F FAQ
What chords are in the key of F?
F, Gm, Am, B♭, C, Dm, and E diminished. The I, IV, and V are F, B♭, and C, and the relative minor is Dm.
What is the relative minor of F major?
D minor. Same key signature, same seven chords, with Dm treated as home.
How many sharps or flats does the key of F have?
1 flat, B♭, E♭, A♭, and D♭.