Guitar chord · Barre shape · Standard tuning
F major guitar chord (F)
Barre finger 1 across the 1st fret, then finger 3 on the 3rd fret of the A, finger 4 on the 3rd fret of the D, finger 2 on the 2nd fret of the G. Strum all six strings.
F – A – C
Loop strum: down, down-up, up-down-up on 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &.
Next moves
4 fingers, 6 strings, chart notation 133211. Tap the chord box to hear it strummed, then play it string by string to check every note is ringing cleanly.
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
- A — the major 3rd
- C — the perfect 5th
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.
A first strum pattern
Count “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” — eighth notes (quavers). Strum down, down-up, up-down-up: down on 1, down on 2, up on the “&” of 2, up on the “&” of 3, down on 4, up on the “&” of 4. Keep your hand moving down and up all the time, and only touch the strings on the marked counts.
Start the strum loop above at 60–70 BPM and change chords on beat 1.
F major FAQ
How do you play F major on guitar?
Barre finger 1 across the 1st fret, then finger 3 on the 3rd fret of the A, finger 4 on the 3rd fret of the D, finger 2 on the 2nd fret of the G. Strum all six strings. In chart notation it is 133211, low E string first.
What notes are in F major?
F, A and C: the root, the major 3rd and the perfect 5th.
What chord comes after F major?
Common changes from F major: F major 7 and G major. Practice the switch slowly with the strum loop, then speed it up.
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.