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Chord & Fret

Harmonic field of F major on cavaquinho

F major: F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E. In the shapes below, the tonic opens with the bass on F. On the cavaquinho, four steel strings tuned D–G–B–D pack the chord into a small, bright space — every finger counts. Its four steel strings give a bright, sharp attack that cuts through the mix and drives the beat.

Fmaj7, 3 2 1 2Fmaj74213FACE
I · tonic3 2 1 2
Gm7, 5 3 3 3Gm73111GBbDF
ii · subdominant5 3 3 3
Am7, 2 2 1 5Am72314EACG
iii · tonic2 2 1 5
Bbmaj7, 3 3 3 7Bbmaj731114FBbDA
IV · subdominant3 3 3 7
C7, 2 3 1 2C72413EBbCE
V · dominant2 3 1 2
Dm7, 3 2 1 0Dm7321FACD
vi · tonic3 2 1 0
Em7b5, 2 3 3 5Em7b51234EBbDG
vii° · dominant2 3 3 5

These are the first positions of every degree of F major on cavaquinho. In Chord & Fret, the Circle of Fifths opens the full field — every degree with all its positions, audio and the key's secondary dominants. Open in Chord & Fret →

See the full harmonic field of F major →