Chord Colors

F♯ Major scale

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About the F sharp Major scale

F sharp Major is used for anthems, pop hooks, hymns and anything that should feel uplifting and stable. Think of it as the bright, resolved, "happy" sound that anchors most pop, folk and classical music. It is F Lydian with the fourth lowered.

Its notes are F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. The formula is W W H W W W H.

Also called the Ionian mode, Diatonic Major, and Bilawal.

Learn more about the F♯ Major scale

In F Major, the open string sounds B. The lowest F on a standard-tuned guitar sits at the 2nd fret of the low E string. With a capo at the second fret, F Major can be played with E-shape fingerings.

Positions

Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.

CAGED

Five shapes, each anchored to a chord form you already know, the pop and rock default that ties your scales to your chords. The outlined notes are that chord, so you can see the C, A, G, E, and D shapes inside the scale.

E shapefr 1
D shapefr 3
C shapefr 6
A shapefr 8
G shapefr 11
3NPS

3NPS stands for 3 notes per string. It lays the scale out in seven even shapes for rock and metal lead, and favors speed because the picking pattern stays consistent across every string.

Shape 1fr 1
Shape 2fr 2
Shape 3fr 4
Shape 4fr 6
Shape 5fr 7
Shape 6fr 9
Shape 7fr 11
7-position system

7 four-fret boxes, one per scale degree, each a single hand position with almost no shifting. The jazz and classical way, from William Leavitt's Berklee method.

Position 1fr 1
Position 2fr 2
Position 3fr 4
Position 4fr 6
Position 5fr 7
Position 6fr 9
Position 7fr 11

Chords in the key of F sharp Major

Expand a chord to see how to play it.

I F sharp
Position 1 of 4
ii G sharp minor
Position 1 of 4
4fr
iii A sharp minor
Position 1 of 4
IV B
Position 1 of 4
V C sharp
Position 1 of 4
vi D sharp minor
Position 1 of 4
vii° E sharp diminished
Position 1 of 4

Seventh chords in F sharp Major

The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.

I F sharp major seven
Position 1 of 4
ii G sharp minor seven
Position 1 of 4
4fr
iii A sharp minor seven
Position 1 of 4
IV B major seven
Position 1 of 4
V C sharp seven
Position 1 of 4
vi D sharp minor seven
Position 1 of 4
vii° E sharp minor seven flat five
Position 1 of 4

Progressions in F sharp Major

Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.

Common
Common

Notes and intervals

1F#F♯Root
2G#G♯Major 2nd
3A#A♯Major 3rd
4BBPerfect 4th
5C#C♯Perfect 5th
6D#D♯Major 6th
7E#E♯Major 7th
StepsW W H W W W H
Semitones2-2-1-2-2-2-1
Degrees1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Shapes

Chromatic

CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B

Circle of Fifths

CGDAEBF♯G♭C♯D♭G♯A♭D♯E♭A♯B♭F

Related scales

Major in other keys

Modes

The same notes, starting on a different note.

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Gb Major scale on guitar shown as colored note dots
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