Root position
F# – A# – C#The root F# is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.
3 notes · 1 · 3 · 5
F# Major Piano Chord
F# major is built from F#, A# and C# — the formula 1 · 3 · 5, or 4 and 7 semitones above F#. The shape uses 0 white and 3 black keys, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.
Chord
F# Major
Notes
F# · A# · C#Formula
1 · 3 · 5Right hand
1 · 3 · 5C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
C#
D#
F#
G#
A#
Choose a chord, then play it. Finger numbers run from thumb (1) to little finger (5).
The finder above already holds F#. Press P or the Play chord button to hear F#, A#, C# sounded together, then change the root or the chord type to compare it with something else.
Chord tones
The notes in F# major
A major triad stacks a major third and then a minor third above the root. That order gives the bright, settled sound most beginner songs are built on. Major triads sit on the first, fourth and fifth degrees of any major scale, which is why they turn up in so many chord progressions.
| Note | Interval | Degree | Semitones | Right hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F#black key | Root | 1 | 0 | 1 · thumb |
| A#black key | Major third | 3 | 4 | 3 · middle finger |
| C#black key | Perfect fifth | 5 | 7 | 5 · little finger |
Step by step
How to play F# major on piano
- Find F#: it is the first black key in a group of three.
- Build upwards from F# using 4 and 7 semitones to reach A# and C#.
- With the right hand, place finger 1 on F#, finger 3 on A# and finger 5 on C#. Keep the wrist level and the knuckles rounded.
- Move your hand a little further in towards the fallboard so the black keys sit comfortably under your fingers.
- Play the notes together, then one at a time from the bottom up, and listen to how F# major settles.
- Try first inversion as well: A# – C# – F#. Inversions let you change chords without jumping around the keyboard.
Inversions
F# major in 3 positions
An inversion keeps the same 3 notes and simply moves the lowest one up an octave. Learning them means you can change chords with small hand movements instead of jumping to a new part of the keyboard.
First inversion
A# – C# – F#A# is the lowest note, so the major third sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Second inversion
C# – F# – A#C# is the lowest note, so the perfect fifth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
In context
Which keys contain F# major
In D♭ major the chord functions as IV. Altogether it is produced by the scales of 7 keys, so learning it once pays off in several places.
- D♭ majorIV
- F♯ majorI
- B majorV
- E♭ minorIII
- G♯ minorVII
- B♭ minorVI
- B harmonic minorV
Chord tones are spelled by the degree they occupy, so the third of a minor chord is written as a flat rather than a sharp even though it is the same key on the piano. A double sharp such as F## means the key one whole tone above F.
Compare
F# major against F# minor
F# major and F# minor share F# and C#. Moving the minor third A up 1 semitone to the major third A# turns F# minor into F# major.
Practise the pair together: hold the shared notes F#, C# still and move only the one finger. Hearing that single change is the quickest way to recognise the two chords by ear.
Open F# minor →Good questions
F# major questions
What notes are in the F# major chord?
F# major contains F#, A# and C#. Counted from the root, that is the formula 1 · 3 · 5, or 4 and 7 semitones above F#.
What is the right-hand fingering for F# major?
A comfortable beginner fingering is 1 (thumb) on F#, 3 (middle finger) on A# and 5 (little finger) on C#. Finger numbers run from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5), and they change once you start using inversions.
How is F# major different from F# minor?
F# major and F# minor share F# and C#. Moving the minor third A up 1 semitone to the major third A# turns F# minor into F# major.
Which keys use the F# major chord?
It occurs naturally in D♭ major (IV), F♯ major (I), B major (V), E♭ minor (III), G♯ minor (VII) and B♭ minor (VI) among others. The roman numeral shows which degree of the key the chord is built on.
What are the inversions of F# major?
root position is F# – A# – C#, first inversion is A# – C# – F# and second inversion is C# – F# – A#. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.
Is F# major the same as the G♭ chord?
On an equal-tempered piano F# and G♭ are the same key, so the chords sound identical. Written music chooses between them according to the key signature: pages here are named after the sharp spelling of the root, and the chord tones are then spelled by the degree each one occupies, which is why a double sharp occasionally appears.