F piano chord — the keys, the inversions, the theory

F is a major chord built from F, A, C. Below: the keys to press, every inversion with its own diagram, the intervals it is made of, the keys whose scale contains it, and a progression that actually uses it. Press any diagram to hear it.

F

F · A · C

Piano keyboardC4C5

Semitones above the root: 0 – 4 – 7

A major third at the bottom is what makes this bright and settled.

Inversions of F

  • Root position

    F · A · C · bass F

  • Inversion 1

    A · C · F · bass A

  • Inversion 2

    C · F · A · bass C

Same chord, different note at the bottom. Press a diagram to hear it — inversions are how you move between chords without jumping your hand across the keyboard.

Keys that contain F

  • BbV
  • FI
  • CIV

In Bb it does this job: I – V – vi – IV

  1. Bb
  2. F
  3. Gm
  4. Eb

Questions