F Major Scale
- Notes
- F G A Bb C D E
- Degrees
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Character
The reference seven-note scale. Western harmony is explained in terms of it, and every other mode is defined by which of its notes you start on.
Whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half. The half steps fall between the 3rd and 4th, and between the 7th and the octave. Where those two half steps sit is what gives major its bright, settled quality.
The 7th pulls strongly upward into the root, which is why moving from the V chord back to I feels so resolved. That pull is the backbone of popular harmony.
Relative key
Shares its notes with D Natural Minor Scale. Only the root differs. D Natural Minor Scale →
Diatonic chords in this key
Seventh chords built on each scale note, using only notes from the scale. These do not clash with one another, so they are the reference set when you build a progression.
| Degree | Position | Chord |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imaj7 | Fmaj7 |
| 2 | ii7 | Gm7 |
| 3 | iii7 | Am7 |
| 4 | IVmaj7 | Bbmaj7 |
| 5 | V7 | C7 |
| 6 | vi7 | Dm7 |
| 7 | vii°7 | Em7♭5 |
Practice
Do not stay in one place on the neck. Play the same scale in several positions — the notes are identical but the hand shape changes.
Reading it as degrees teaches you which note is the root and which is the third. Change key and the same shape moves with you.