F♯ major chord on guitar (F♯)

F♯ is F♯, A♯ and C♯. The usual shape is 2-4-4-3-2-2, a barre at the 2nd fret. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

2-4-4-3-2-2 · barre · medium

Notes: F♯ · A♯ · C♯
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5
First shape: 2-4-4-3-2-2

How to play F♯ on guitar

Shape 1, 2-4-4-3-2-2, reading from the low E string on the left, starts at the 2nd fret:

Barre the 2nd fret with your index finger, covering all the strings.
Put your middle finger on the G string at the 3rd fret, which is A♯.
Put your ring finger on the A string at the 4th fret, which is C♯.
Put your pinky finger on the D string at the 4th fret, which is F♯.

If one string buzzes under the barre, it is usually sitting in a crease of your finger. Slide the barre up or down a few millimeters until it rings.
Your little finger has a job in this shape; it gets stronger in a week or two of short daily practice.

Other ways to play F♯

x-x-4-3-2-2: movable shape at the 2nd fret, medium. Fewer strings, so it sounds lighter and is quicker to change to.
x-9-11-11-11-9: barre shape at the 9th fret, medium. This is the open A shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.
x-9-8-6-7-6: partial barre shape at the 6th fret, medium. Same notes, stacked differently, so it sounds a little different.

Capo shortcuts for F♯

With a capo you can skip the harder shapes: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open E shape (0-2-2-1-0-0), capo on the 4th fret and play the open D shape (x-x-0-2-3-2) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open C shape (x-3-2-0-1-0). Everything above the capo is fingered exactly like the open chord.

F♯ chord changes

The chords F♯ usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

B (IV in F♯ major): F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2) to B (x-2-4-4-4-2): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 2nd fret, the middle finger goes to the D string, 4th fret, your ring finger lands on the G string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. F♯ carries over from one chord to the other. B on guitar
C♯ (V in F♯ major): F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2) to C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 4th fret, move the middle finger to the D string, 6th fret, the ring finger goes to the G string, 6th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Listen for C♯, which stays put while the rest moves. C♯ on guitar
E♭m (vi in F♯ major): F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2) to E♭m (x-x-1-3-4-2): move the index finger to the D string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the high E string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share F♯ and A♯, which is why the change sounds smooth. E♭m on guitar

F♯ has the stable, upbeat sound of every major triad. Major chords are the backbone of most songs; F♯ is home in F♯ major and a common IV or V in the keys around it. The slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.

A short F♯ drill

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: F♯, C♯, F♯, A♯, C♯, F♯. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Then switch to x-x-4-3-2-2 and back four times without looking at your hand.

You may also see it as G♭; nothing changes on the guitar.

Where F♯ shows up

In F♯ major, I–V–vi–IV on guitar is F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2), C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4), E♭m (x-x-1-3-4-2) and B (x-2-4-4-4-2). About the pop progression.

In F♯ major, I–IV–V on guitar is F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2), B (x-2-4-4-4-2) and C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4). About the three-chord progression.

In F♯ major, I–vi–IV–V on guitar is F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2), E♭m (x-x-1-3-4-2), B (x-2-4-4-4-2) and C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4). About the 50s progression.

F♯ on piano and ukulele

F♯ on piano and ukulele uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Close to F♯

Other major chords

F♯ on guitar: questions

What notes are in F♯ on guitar?

F♯, A♯ and C♯. In the 2-4-4-3-2-2 shape the strings play F♯ (low E string), C♯ (A string), F♯ (D string), A♯ (G string), C♯ (B string) and F♯ (high E string), so F♯ and C♯ are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play F♯ on guitar?

No open-string F♯ exists in standard tuning; x-x-4-3-2-2 is the place to start. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is F♯ a barre chord on guitar?

In its standard form, yes. 2-4-4-3-2-2 has your index finger across the 2nd fret. If that's hard, try x-x-4-3-2-2.

Which string does F♯ start on?

In the 2-4-4-3-2-2 shape the lowest string you play is the low E string at the 2nd fret, which is F♯, the root.

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes F♯, A♯ and C♯ and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.