F Major: Notes, Chords and Scale
F major is a major key. Its key signature has one flat: B♭. Its scale is F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E, and its seven diatonic chords are F, Gm, Am, B♭, C, Dm, Edim. Below are the 7th chords, Roman numerals, related keys, the Camelot code and a keyboard diagram.
Key signature
1♭
Relative key
Parallel key
Camelot code
7B
Notes
F G A B♭ C D E
Chords in F major
- IFF A C
- iiGmG B♭ D
- iiiAmA C E
- IVB♭B♭ D F
- VCC E G
- viDmD F A
- vii°EdimE G B♭
Seventh chords
- Imaj7Fmaj7F A C E
- ii7Gm7G B♭ D F
- iii7Am7A C E G
- IVmaj7B♭maj7B♭ D F A
- V7C7C E G B♭
- vi7Dm7D F A C
- viiø7Em7♭5E G B♭ D
How to use these chords
- I, IV and V (F, B♭, C) are the primary chords. Together they contain all seven notes of the scale.
- vi (Dm) and iii (Am) each share two notes with I, and ii (Gm) shares two notes with IV, so these minor chords often stand in for them.
- V7 (C7) contains the leading tone, E, which pulls up to the root, so it resolves strongly to I. vii° (Edim) has the same upper three notes as V7 and is mostly used as a passing chord.
- Common progressions, in Roman numerals: I V vi IV (F, C, Dm, B♭); I vi IV V (F, Dm, B♭, C); ii V I (Gm, C, F); ii7 V7 Imaj7 (Gm7, C7, Fmaj7).
Common uses of F major
- F major shares its seven notes and its key signature with its relative minor, D minor.
- On a piano, one of its seven notes is a black key.
- It reads easily for horn sections: B♭ instruments such as trumpet, clarinet and tenor saxophone read it as G major, and E♭ alto saxophone reads it as D major.
- In the Camelot system DJs use for harmonic mixing, F major is 7B; tracks in 6B, 8B and 7A usually mix smoothly with it.
- Open F major in the Scale and Chord Finder
- Find your song's key from the audio: Detect Key and BPM
- Camelot Wheel: 7B
- Write chords or MIDI in F major with MIDI LabMIDI Lab, from the same team as SongTools, writes chord progressions, bass, drums and melody as MIDI from a prompt.
- D minor: notes and chords
- All 24 major and minor keys
Questions about F major
What chords are in F major?
The seven chords in F major are F, Gm, Am, B♭, C, Dm, Edim (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°). As seventh chords they are Fmaj7, Gm7, Am7, B♭maj7, C7, Dm7, Em7♭5.
What notes are in the F major scale?
F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E. Its key signature has one flat: B♭.
What is the relative minor of F major?
D minor. It uses the same seven notes and key signature as F major, starting from D. The parallel minor, F minor, starts on the same note as F major but has a different key signature.
What is the Camelot code for F major?
7B. Next to it on the Camelot wheel are 6B and 8B, and 7A is its relative minor, D minor.