F major (F) chord on mandolin

Major triad on F: the notes of the F chord are F – A – C.

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 3easy

Position 5medium

Position 7medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the F chord sounds like

A major triad sounds stable and bright: root, major third and perfect fifth. Most songs are built on major chords – in a major key, chords I, IV and V are all major.

Notes of the F chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	F	root
3	A	major third (4 semitones)
5	C	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): fret 1, index finger (F5)
String 2 (A): fret 3, little finger (C5)
String 3 (D): fret 3, ring finger (F4)
String 4 (G): fret 2, middle finger (A3)

Position 3

String 1 (E): fret 5, little finger (A5)
String 2 (A): open (A4)
String 3 (D): fret 3, index finger (F4)
String 4 (G): fret 5, ring finger (C4)

Position 5

String 1 (E): fret 8, little finger (C6)
String 2 (A): fret 8, little finger (F5)
String 3 (D): fret 7, ring finger (A4)
String 4 (G): fret 5, index finger (C4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The F chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

F major: I (tonic)
B♭ major: V (dominant)
C major: IV (subdominant)
B♭ minor: V (dominant)
G minor: VII
D minor: III
A minor: VI

Similar chords and substitutes

If F is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Dm – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
Am – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
Fmaj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
Fsus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Richer versions

F7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Fmaj7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
F6 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Fadd9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the F chord?

F, A, C. The root is F; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth.

What is the easiest way to play F on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Position 3”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the F chord written?

The chord symbol is F, and its full name is F major.