F major scale

The F major scale is F, G, A, B♭, C, D and E, with one flat. From F, the steps go whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.

  1. F1
  2. whole
  3. G2
  4. whole
  5. A3
  6. half
  7. B♭4
  8. whole
  9. C5
  10. whole
  11. D6
  12. whole
  13. E7
  14. half
  15. F8
F1G2A3C1D2E3F4B♭4

F major on the staff, piano and guitar

On the staff

♭FGAB♭CDEF♭FGAB♭CDEF

On piano

Right hand 1 2 3 4, then the thumb passes under to C: 1 2 3 4.

F5G4A3C1D3E2F1B♭2

Left hand 5 4 3 2 1, then finger 3 crosses over to D: 3 2 1.

Fingers are numbered from the thumb, 1, to the little finger, 5. Coming down, play the same fingers in reverse.

On guitar

7891011EBGDAECDEFGAB♭CDEFGAB♭CD

Every note of F major between the 7th and 11th fret. The root, F, has a heavy ring.

How to play the F major scale on piano

  1. Find F, the white key just left of a group of three black keys.
  2. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to G.
  3. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to A.
  4. Go up a half step, to the very next key, to B♭, a black key.
  5. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to C.
  6. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to D.
  7. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to E.
  8. Go up a half step, to the very next key, to F, an octave above where you started.

Practice the F major scale

Play the F major scale one note a beat, up and back down: F G A B♭ C D E F E D C B♭ A G F. Hands separately first. Start at 60 beats a minute and move up toward 100 once every note lands on the beat.

F
  1. F
  2. G
  3. A
  4. B♭
  5. C
  6. D
  7. E
  8. F
  9. E
  10. D
  11. C
  12. B♭
  13. A
  14. G
  15. F

The key of F major

Follow the major pattern from F and one note needs a flat: B♭. That flat is the key signature.

Relative minor
D minor
Parallel minor
F minor
Neighbors on the circle of fifths
B♭ major and C major
♭CVAmiiiGEmDBmAF♯mEC♯mBC♭G♯mA♭mF♯G♭D♯mE♭mD♭C♯B♭mA♯mA♭FmE♭CmB♭IVGmiiFIDmviF major
F major on the circle of fifths, with the chords of its key marked.

The name of each note in the key

  1. 1Ftonic
  2. 2Gsupertonic
  3. 3Amediant
  4. 4B♭subdominant
  5. 5Cdominant
  6. 6Dsubmediant
  7. 7Eleading tone

Chords in F major

Build a chord on each note of the scale, using only the scale's notes, and you get the seven chords of the key. The numeral is the chord's place in the key: capitals for major, small letters for minor.

  1. IF
  2. iiGm
  3. iiiAm
  4. IVB♭
  5. VC
  6. viDm
  7. vii°Edim

Modes on the same notes

Start the F major scale on another of its notes and you get a mode, with the same key signature: F ionian, G dorian, A phrygian, B♭ lydian, C mixolydian, D aeolian, E locrian.

Practice notes for the F major scale

F major has one flat, B♭: F G A B♭ C D E F. It is the first scale in this set where the right hand cannot use the usual 1 2 3, thumb under, 1 2 3 4 5: that fingering would put the thumb on B♭.

Where it goes wrong. Habit. After C, G, D, A and E major, the right hand wants to cross after finger 3. In F major it plays four notes first, F G A B♭ with 1 2 3 4, and the thumb passes under to C. Then 1 2 3 4 again for C D E F. The left hand keeps the familiar fingering, 5 4 3 2 1 from F, then 3 over to D.

How to practice it. Play F G A B♭ C with 1 2 3 4 1 a dozen times, slowly, until the 4th finger goes to B♭ without a pause. Then add the rest. Coming down, finger 4 crosses over the thumb from C to B♭; that crossing onto a black key is comfortable because B♭ is raised and near.

What to listen for. A to B♭ is a half step, and so is E to F at the top. Played with B instead of B♭, the scale sounds bright and unsettled; B♭ is what makes it F major.

What to learn next. B♭ major, which adds E♭, and D minor, the relative minor, with the same one flat.

Questions

What are the notes of the F major scale?

F, G, A, B♭, C, D and E, then F again an octave up.

What chords are in the key of F major?

F, Gm, Am, B♭, C, Dm and Edim: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi and vii°.

Why does F major have one flat?

Follow the major pattern from F and one note needs a flat: B♭. That flat is the key signature.

What is the relative minor of F major?

D minor. It uses the same notes and the same key signature, starting on D.