F Major scale - Music theory (2024)

the F major scale has just a single flat (1 ♭) and according to the order of flats it is the B flat (B♭).
The names of the notes in the F major scale are: F G A B♭ C D E

F Major scale - Music theory (1)

Like all other major scales, F major scale is composed by this sequence of

whole steps and half steps (tones and semitones )

:

F Major scale - Music theory (4)

:1 Whole step / 1 Whole step / 1 half step / 1 Whole step / 1 Whole step / 1 Whole step / 1 half step

F Major scale - Music theory (5)

: 1 Tone / 1 Tone / 1 semitone / 1 Tone / 1 Tone / 1 Tone / 1 semitone

F Major scale - Music theory (6)

Key signature of F major scale

The key signature of F Major has only one flat (1♭).

F Major scale - Music theory (7)

F Major scale in most common clefs


Here is F major scale in most common clefs: treble clef, bass clef, tenor clef and alto clef.

F Major scale in treble clef (G-clef)

Below is the F major scale in treble clef:

F Major scale - Music theory (8)

F Major scale in bass clef

Below is the F major scale in bass clef:

F Major scale - Music theory (9)

F Major scale in alto clef

Below is the F major scale in alto clef:

F Major scale - Music theory (10)

F Major scale in tenor clef

Below is the F major scale in tenor clef:

F Major scale - Music theory (11)

Scale degrees of F major

The degrees of F major scale are:

F : degree I (Tonic)
G : degree II (Supertonic)
A : degree III (Mediant)
B♭ : degree IV (Subdominant)
C : degree V (Dominant)
D : degree VI (Submediant)
E : degree VII (Leading Tone)

Closely related keys of F Major

Closely related keys of F Major are:

- C Major
- B flat Major
- G minor
- D minor
- A minor

Relative minor key of F Major

The relative minor key of F Major is D minor and below if the D minor natural scale:

F Major scale - Music theory (12)

Parallel Key of F Major

Parallel Key of F Major (or homonymous key) is F minor scale, here is the F harmonic minor scale :

F Major scale - Music theory (13)

Leading Tone of F Major

The leading Tone of F Major is E, because E is the degree VII and is distant to a seventh major of the tonic, or an half step F Major scale - Music theory (14) (semitone F Major scale - Music theory (15)) lower than the tonic).

Chords of F major scale

Here are triad chords for F Major scale:

Chord I : F Major (Notes: F A C)
Chord II : G minor (Notes: G B♭ D)
Chord III : A minor (Notes: A C E)
Chord IV : B♭ Major (Notes: B♭ D F)
Chord V : C Major (Notes: C E G)
Chord VI : D minor (Notes: D F A)
Chord VII : E diminished (Notes: E G B♭)

F major scale on a piano

Below is the F major scale on a piano:

F Major scale - Music theory (16)

You will notice that only the white piano keys are used. Music notes must be played successively from left to right to obtain the ascending scale, or from right to left for the descending scale.

F major triad chord

The F major triad chord as a root note (F), a major third (F / A) and a perfect fifth (F / C):

F Major scale - Music theory (17)

And below is the F major triad chord on a piano keyboard:

F Major scale - Music theory (18)

Authentic cadence (perfect cadence) in F major

Here is an Authentic cadence F Major scale - Music theory (19) (perfect cadence F Major scale - Music theory (20)) in F major :

F Major scale - Music theory (21)

F major scale video

Here is the F major scale video:

F major on the circle of fifths

You can find F major on the circle of fifths and its key signature, relative minor key and closely related keys :

F Major scale - Music theory (22)

Famous works F major

Here are some works by famous composers composed in F major:

Autumn, The Four seasons by Vivaldi

The Four Seasons composed by Vivaldi has several movements, including the movement Autumn in F major. Here is an excerpt from the beginning of this movement:

F Major scale - Music theory (23)

Notice the two half-cadences

F Major scale - Music theory (24)

(Imperfect cadences

F Major scale - Music theory (25)

) V, and the authentic cadence

F Major scale - Music theory (26)

(perfect cadence

F Major scale - Music theory (27)

) V I at the end of this extract.

The four seasons by Vivaldi is a concerto for solo violin, accompanied by an instrumental ensemble composed of violins, violas, cellos and a basso continuo (harpsichord).

Symphony No. 6, Beethoven

The key of F major is used by Beethoven in his symphony n°6 also known as the Pastoral Symphony:

F Major scale - Music theory (28)

In this extract from the first movement arranged for piano by the famous pianist and composer Franz Liszt, you will also notice the half-cadence F Major scale - Music theory (29) (Imperfect cadence F Major scale - Music theory (30)) V which happen very early in this beginning of this symphony, this immediately gives an atmosphere of lightness, as if time was suspended.

test your knowledge

How much flats in F major?

  • Not enough for me
  • none
  • 1♭
  • 2♭

What is the relative minor of F major?

  • A minor
  • B minor
  • C minor
  • D minor

What is the dominant note in F major?

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G

What are the major chords of F major?

  • degrees I II and III
  • degrees IV V and VI
  • degrees I IV and V

What are the minor chords of F major?

  • degrees I II and III
  • degrees II III and VI
  • degrees I V and V
F Major scale - Music theory (31)

F major key signature

What is the key signature of F major? How many flats are in the key of F major key? Here is the answer:

F Major scale - Music theory (2024)

FAQs

What is the answer to the F major scale? ›

But all of these pitches also belong to the F major scale (F, G, A , B, C, D, and E).

What is the F major scale in music theory? ›

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B♭, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor.

Why is F major so popular? ›

F Major is a common key in Western music. In the classical world, it has been used for a variety of moods, from pastoral and serene to dramatic and triumphant. In pop music, it's frequently used because it fits well within the range of most singers and is comfortable to play on many instruments.

Is F major a good key? ›

F Major can be used in a broad range of genres and particularly suits music which is earnest, intense and delivered with conviction. It's one of Taylor Swift's most commonly used keys, and is great for ballads, rock songs, country and pop.

What is the tonic of the F major scale? ›

In the case of the F major scale, F is considered its tonic. The tonic serves as a point of stability and often feels like "home" within a piece of music. Major Scale: A major scale is a diatonic scale consisting of seven pitches arranged in a specific pattern of whole steps and half steps.

What is the F scale score? ›

The "F" stands for "fascist". The F-scale measures responses on several different components of authoritarianism, such as conventionalism, authoritarian aggression, superstition and stereotypy, power and "toughness", destructiveness and cynicism, projectivity, and sex.

Why is F major so hard to play? ›

The F major chord is a particularly challenging chord to play on the guitar because it requires you to make a bar or mini-bar (we'll get into this later), which makes it hard to execute cleanly. In this guide, we'll be tackling the dreaded F major from just about every angle so you can master this unruly chord.

Is it hard to sing in F major? ›

of F are so hard to hold pitch. instruments, all keys are created equal. However for human voices and ears, this seems to be the toughest key to hold.

What is the most used F key? ›

F5: The most used F key on the keyboard, it refreshes the content on the screen, whether it´s on Internet or located inside a folder. F6: If you´re using a browser, this key allows you to write in the address line to change from one website to another.

What key sounds good with F major? ›

The relative keys of F Major are:
  • D Minor.
  • C Mixolydian.
  • G Dorian.
  • B♭ Lydian.
  • A Phrygian.
  • E Locrian.

What is the dominant in F major? ›

The dominant of any key is the chord based on the note a perfect fifth higher. So, in F major, the dominant will be C.

Where is do on the F major scale? ›

Whatever major key you're in, the root note is “do”, and the rest of the notes follow accordingly. So in the key of F major, F is “do”, G is “re”, A is “mi”, Bb is “fa”, C is “sol “, D is “la”, and E is “ti”.

Why is b flat in F major scale? ›

But B♭ was necessary here because the third interval in the T T S T T T S pattern is a semitone, not a tone, and therefore the note a semitone below B is required, i.e. B♭, not B. On a keyboard, as you can see from Example 46, this is the black note set back between A and B.

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