Piano chord · Major triad · Beginner
F major piano chord (F)
F, A and C, played together. Root position is highlighted on the keyboard below — press play to hear it.
Notes in F: F, A and C
| Note | Interval from the root | Key around middle C |
|---|---|---|
| F | Root | F4 · white key |
| A | Major 3rd | A4 · white key |
| C | Perfect 5th | C5 · white key |
- Chord symbol: F — F major
- Formula: R · 3 · 5 (0 · 4 · 7 semitones from the root)
- Right hand fingering: 1-3-5 — thumb, middle finger and little finger
- Left hand fingering: 5-3-1, little finger on the root
How F works
F major is the second all-white chord most players learn and the IV chord of C major, so C–F–C turns up in a first lesson. The shape is C major moved up one white key: keep the arm quiet and let the hand step across rather than swing.
F inversions
An inversion keeps the same notes and changes which one is at the bottom. That matters because it lets you move between chords without jumping: the closer the notes of the next chord are to the ones your hand is already holding, the smoother it sounds and the easier it is to play. Root position first, then two inversions.
Root position
F–A–C — the root, F, is at the bottom.
1st inversion — A in the bass
A–C–F — the same three notes, reordered so A is lowest.
2nd inversion — C in the bass
C–F–A — the same three notes, reordered so C is lowest.
Common mistakes on F
- Playing A♭ and landing on F minor instead.
- Swinging the whole forearm across from C major rather than stepping the hand over.
- Letting the little finger flatten on C, so the top of the chord barely sounds.
Piano 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.