Key of F major
The key of F major has one flat — B♭. Its scale runs F G A B♭ C D E, and building a triad on each of those seven notes — stacking thirds from the scale itself — produces the key's seven chords.
That gives three major chords, three minor chords and one diminished chord. The majors — F (I), B♭ (IV) and C (V) — are the workhorses that carry most songs in the key; the minors Gm (ii), Am (iii) and Dm (vi) supply the softer colors, and E° (vii°) appears mostly as a passing chord.
Relative minor: D minor — the same seven chords, with Dm as home base.
The seven chords of F major
Common questions
- What chords are in the key of F major?
- The seven chords in the key of F major are F (I), Gm (ii), Am (iii), B♭ (IV), C (V), Dm (vi) and E° (vii°).
- What is the relative minor of F major?
- D minor. The two keys share the same key signature and the same seven chords — D minor simply treats Dm, not F, as home.
- How many sharps or flats does F major have?
- F major has one flat: B♭.