Guitar chord · Triads
F major chord on guitar
133211 · Barre · 1st fret
All 6 shapes, tab & fingering ↓
6 ways to play F on guitar, with finger positions, tabs and step-by-step instructions.
Bright, stable and resolved — the foundation of most songs.
F is the I chord in F major, IV in C major and V in B♭ major. In minor keys: III in D minor, V in B♭ minor, VI in A minor and VII in G minor.
- Notes
- FAC
- Formula
- 135
- Built from
- root · major 3rd · perfect 5th
Guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E) · 6 voicings · E string on the left · Other tunings →
How to play it · Barre · 1st fret
- Lay your index finger (1) flat across 6 strings at the 1st fret — this is the barre.
- 6th string (low E): 1st fret, held by the barre F
- 5th string (A): 3rd fret, ring finger (3) C
- 4th string (D): 3rd fret, pinky finger (4) F
- 3rd string (G): 2nd fret, middle finger (2) A
- 2nd string (B): 1st fret, held by the barre C
- 1st string (high E): 1st fret, held by the barre F
Tablature
e|--1---| B|--1---| G|--2---| D|--3---| A|--3---| E|--1---|
Top line is the high E string. x = don’t play, 0 = open string.
Every F note on the guitar neck
Bright dots are the selected voicing — the rest are other places you can find the same chord tones.
Tips for playing F on guitar
The full shape (133211) barres the 1st fret with your index finger. Roll the finger slightly onto its bony edge and keep your thumb low behind the neck — squeezing harder rarely helps. Until it’s comfortable, the four-string xx3211 sounds good and is much easier.
You’ll find F in common progressions such as F–C–Dm–B♭ (the pop progression in F major), F–B♭–C–B♭ (three-chord rock in F major) and F–Dm–B♭–C (the ’50s progression in F major).
Learning guitar? F is part of stage 7 (“D minor and F major”) of our first guitar chords path.
