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 hom*onymous 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

F Major scale - Music theory? ›

F major (or the key of F) is a major sc

c
C or Do is the first note of the C major scale, the third note of the A minor scale (the relative minor of C major), and the fourth note (G, A, B, C) of the Guidonian hand, commonly pitched around 261.63 Hz.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › C_(musical_note)
ale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B♭, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat
flat
In music, flat means lower in pitch. It may either be used generically, meaning any lowering of pitch, or refer to a particular size: lowering pitch by a chromatic semitone. A flat is the opposite of a sharp (♯) which raises pitch by the same amount that a flat lowers it. ♭
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Flat_(music)
. Its relative minor
relative minor
The relative minor of a particular major key, or the relative major of a minor key, is the key which has the same key signature but a different tonic. (This is as opposed to parallel minor or major, which shares the same tonic.)
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Relative_key
is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor.

What is the emotion of the F major scale? ›

Personalities, almost. Master composer Schubert even wrote a directory to explain this, in which he proclaimed F Major to be full of “complaisance & calm” while another classical composer, Helmholtz, described the sound of F Major as “Peace, joy, light, passing regret, religious sentiment”.

What are the notes in F major scale? ›

The F major scale consists of the notes F, G, A, B-flat, C, D and E. The right hand thumb plays on the notes F and C. The left hand thumb plays on the notes C and F.

What is F in music theory? ›

F, sixth note of the musical alphabet, otherwise the fourth note of the scale of C. It also gives its name to the bass clef, whose distinguishing sign denotes the F line. Further, it serves as an abbreviation for forte (f) and fortissimo (ff).

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.

What does the F major symbolize? ›

F major:well-deserved repose after a time of worries and troubles, profoundity of ideas and thoughts.
F minor:spiritual conflict and pensiveness, inner motivation.

Why is F major so good? ›

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.

What is the F major scale theory? ›

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.

What is the opposite of F major? ›

For example, F major and D minor both have one flat in their key signature at B♭; therefore, D minor is the relative minor of F major, and conversely F major is the relative major of D minor.

What is the F major triad? ›

The F major triad consists of a root (F), third (A), and fifth (C). The distance between the root and the third is a major third interval (or four half-steps), and the distance between the third and fifth is a minor third interval (or three half-steps). Major triads have a “happy” sound.

Does F mean loud in music? ›

The two basic dynamic indications in music are: p or piano, meaning "soft or quiet". f or forte, meaning "loud or strong".

What is the key signature of the key of F? ›

The notes of the F Major scale are F G A Bb C D E. It's key signature has 1 flat. Press play to listen to the scale.

Is D minor the same as F major? ›

For example, you can use D minor as a relative minor key to F major, which shares the same key signature. This means that the notes in D minor and F major are the same, but the tonal center is different.

What chord leads to F major? ›

F Major Inversions
ChordRootThird
Default TriadFA
1st inversionAC
2nd inversionCF

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.

What is the mood of F major? ›

For F Major, several descriptions include words like 'calm,' 'mild,' and 'contemplative. ' There's also a bit of an association with rustic or pastoral scenes, helped along in no small way by Beethoven.

How should you feel in the key of F major? ›

Pauer's key characteristics for F major is that it is “at once full of peace and joy, but also expresses effectively a light, passing regret—a mournful, but not a deeply sorrowful feeling.

What does the F scale measure psychology? ›

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.

What is the emotional character of the major scale? ›

On a basic level, major chords usually mean happy, while minor chords usually mean sad. And on an emotional level, that's true. Generally speaking, major chords tend to sound bright, while minor chords sound darker.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Margart Wisoky

Last Updated:

Views: 5421

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (58 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Margart Wisoky

Birthday: 1993-05-13

Address: 2113 Abernathy Knoll, New Tamerafurt, CT 66893-2169

Phone: +25815234346805

Job: Central Developer

Hobby: Machining, Pottery, Rafting, Cosplaying, Jogging, Taekwondo, Scouting

Introduction: My name is Margart Wisoky, I am a gorgeous, shiny, successful, beautiful, adventurous, excited, pleasant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.