Guitar chord · Barre shape · Standard tuning
F major guitar chord (F)
4 fingers, 6 strings, chart notation 133211. Tap the chord chart to hear it strummed, then arpeggio it to check every note is ringing cleanly.
All the strings in one sweep, low to high — how the chord sounds in a song.
- Strings, low to high
- F · C · F · A · C · F
- Chord tones
- F R · A 3 · C 5
How to play F
Finger numbers run 1 for the index to 4 for the little finger. String names are given as players say them — the low E is the thickest string (the 6th) and the high E is the thinnest (the 1st).
- 1st finger (index) — lies flat across the 1st fret, covering all six strings
- 2nd finger (middle) — 2nd fret, G string
- 3rd finger (ring) — 3rd fret, A string
- 4th finger (little) — 3rd fret, D string
- Strum all six strings. Nothing is muted in this shape, so the chord should ring from the low E right through to the high E.
- Barre: 1st fret, strings 6 down to 1. Place the other fingers first and add the barre last.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note it sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th — low E | 1st fret | 1 (index) | F |
| 5th — A | 3rd fret | 3 (ring) | C |
| 4th — D | 3rd fret | 4 (little) | F |
| 3rd — G | 2nd fret | 2 (middle) | A |
| 2nd — B | 1st fret | 1 (index) | C |
| 1st — high E | 1st fret | 1 (index) | F |
Notes and intervals in F
F is built from 3 notes: F, A and C.
- F — the root (R)
- A — the major 3rd (3)
- C — the perfect 5th (5)
Across the six strings the shape sounds F · C · F · A · C · F from low to high, so some notes are doubled in different octaves — that is what gives an open guitar chord its width compared with the same chord on a keyboard.
What F is used for
F is the IV chord in C and the wall between a beginner and the key of C, because its root sits at the 1st fret with no open string to lean on. The full six-string barre shown here is the E-major shape with the index finger doing the nut's job. Most players start with the four-string partial — x x 3 2 1 1, index across the 1st fret of the top two strings, middle on the G string, ring on the D string — which sounds the same F major chord with none of the barre.
Common mistakes with F
- Barring with the soft middle of the index finger. Keep the finger straight and roll it toward its thumb-side edge — the 1st fret is the widest and least forgiving place on the neck to barre.
- Thumb hooked over the top of the neck. A barre needs the thumb behind the neck, roughly opposite the middle finger, so the hand can squeeze rather than pull.
- Insisting on all six strings from day one. If the 5th and 6th strings buzz, play the four-string partial (x x 3 2 1 1) in time rather than a full barre out of time.
Guitar chord data last updated . Every diagram here, in the printable PDF and in the chart image comes from one dataset, so the paper and the screen cannot disagree.