F# cavaquinho chord
F# (F sharp major) is built from F#, A# and C#, the degrees 1–3–5. On cavaquinho, the main shape is 4 3 2 4, the first diagram, marked with the star.
A room full of friends, somebody borrows a cavaquinho, and the first sound out is almost always a chord like this. F# major is half the world's starting point. Press play down there.
Hear F# before you play
Why F# sounds this way
Go back to the audio and catch the arpeggio note by note. There are only three: F#, A# and C#. Keep your ear on the middle one. That's the major third, and it's what gives this chord its wide-open-day face — remember the name, because in a minute we'll move exactly that note and you'll hear the weather change.
How to play F# on cavaquinho
On the cavaquinho, four steel strings tuned D–G–B–D pack the chord into a small, bright space — every finger counts. So start with the first position below — it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. One tip from someone who's watched a lot of people get stuck: play the notes one by one before strumming. If one sounds muffled, a finger is touching the next string. Adjust, try again. It bugs you for a week and then it's automatic.
In the app: 10 F# shapes on cavaquinho
With the fingering and audio of each one, free. In the app, the arpeggio of each shape is part of Pro.
Precision Tuner: Get in tune before you play: chromatic tuner and reference tones, free in standard tuning · try it in Chord and Fret
Above, the same F#, higher up the neck. No rush — but the day a song wants this chord brighter and tighter, you'll already have the address.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
F# notes and degrees
F# stacks the root F#, the major third A# and the perfect fifth C#.
Where F# shows up
So where does this chord show up in real life? Almost always as III in D# minor, VII in G# minor, VI in A# minor. Don't memorize that — just notice that the same shape plays different roles in different songs, the way a word changes meaning with the sentence.
Transpose & Capo: Need it in another key? Transpose the progression for free; finding the best capo is part of Pro · see it in Chord and Fret
Identify Chord: Found a shape on your fretboard? Mark it on the screen and the app names the chord, 5 times a day for free · use it in Chord and Fret
Real songs pass through here: Gospel · IV walk-up
Where F# usually goes
Treating F# as the home chord (I) of its key, it usually moves toward the pre-dominant (G#m / B) or the dominant (C# / E#°), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
Going beyond F#
When it's time to improvise over it, F# Ionian (F# G# A# B C# D# E# · 1 2 3 4 5 6 7: the plain major scale, where everything starts); F# Lydian (F# G# A# B# C# D# E# · 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7: the major scale with a raised fourth — one extra step of daydream) fit entirely. The swaps below are for when your ear gets bored of the obvious.
F# Ionian
In the app: the 7 positions of F# Ionian on cavaquinho
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same F# Ionian in its main shapes along the neck — pick whichever position sits under your hand. The rings mark the guide notes (the 3rd and 7th) that carry this chord's color.
Scale: The scale's positions across the neck, with degree, note and finger labels, free; playing the scale and the tempo-ramp exercise are part of Pro · see it in Chord and Fret
Scales to improvise over F#
To improvise over F# as home, the F# Ionian scale fits entirely: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. And when the dominant (C#) pulls back, the leading tone F is the note that wants to resolve home.
Swaps that work:
- D#m7D#m7D#m7D#m7 — Relative minor (vi) — same tonic function
- A#m7A#m7A#m7A#m7 — Mediant (iii) — tonic function
Reharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · open in Chord and Fret
One last test: play F# and let it ring. Comfortable, right? Exactly. Now come see what happens when we add one note and take that comfort away: F#7.
F# chord questions
What notes are in the F# chord?
The F# chord is made of the notes F#, A# and C#.
How do you play F# on cavaquinho?
Form the shape from string 4 to string 1: 4 3 2 4. The shape starts at fret 2.
What chord comes after F#?
Treating F# as the home chord (I) of its key, it usually moves toward the pre-dominant (G#m / B) or the dominant (C# / E#°), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
What scale works over F#?
To improvise over F# as home, the F# Ionian scale fits entirely: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.