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   The Key of F uses the notes F, G, A, Bb, C, D, and E and is also known as the (Key of D minor), This is the first of the 'flat keys' and is tonically close to the Key of C, When you learn a key you should mentally see all the tones that you 'can' play, On the guitar the pattern starts at the open position and ends on the 11th fret...

   There are two parts of a key that you can learn which would be 'its' scales and 'its' chords, The scale is simply all the tones used for the key and the chords are made up of those tones, We call any key that doesn't use all six open strings 'oddball' so the Key of F uses an odd opening pattern...

Key of F...

   The second scale pattern used for the Key of F has been used over and over for the other keys, Take note of the 'F's in all the patterns on this page because when you move it around then thats the tone that tells you what key you are playing...

Key of F...

Key of F...

Key of F...

Key of F...

   You can play all of the chords of a key on any of the smaller patterns we show throughout the key lessons, Each chord can be played in five different positions because of the wideness of the 'entire scale pattern', It's (for the most part) impossible to envision the 'entire scale pattern' on the fretboard because its 11 frets long, It would look something like this...

Key of F...

   The double dots on the guitar are the 'octaves' of the open strings so the pattern just starts over, Notice that the tones used all the 0th fret are also used at the 12th fret...

   Here are the basic chords for the Key of F, this shows the Natural Chord Progression that they follow based on the tones starting from the key note...
(a 13th chord is commonly referred to as a 6th chord - they are identical)

Chord name --------------------- Notes used

F major ------------------------- F A C
F major 3rd -------------------- F A ..
F 5 ------------------------------- F .. C

F major 7th --------------------- F A C + E 
F major add9 ------------------ F A C + E + G
F sus7 -------------------------- F .. C + E 

F major 9th -------------------- F A C + G
F sus2 -------------------------- F .. C + G  ------- (C major sus4)

F major 11th ------------------- F A C + Bb
F sus4 --------------------------- F .. C + Bb

F major 6th/13th ------------- F A C + D
F sus6 --------------------------- F .. C + D

Compare the F major 13th to the D minor 7th below

D minor -------------------------- D F A
D minor 3rd --------------------- D F
D 5 -------------------------------- D .. A

D minor 7th --------------------- D F A + C
D minor add9 ------------------- D F A + C + E
D sus7 ---------------------------- D .. A + C

D minor 9th ---------------------- D F A + E
D sus2 ---------------------------- D .. A + E  ------- (A minor sus4)

D minor 11th --------------------- D F A + G
D sus4 ---------------------------- D .. A + G

D minor 6th/13th -------------- D F A + Bb
D sus6 ---------------------------- D .. A + Bb

Compare the D minor 13th to Bb major 7th below

Bb major ---------------------------- Bb D F
Bb major 3rd ---------------------- Bb D ..
Bb 5 --------------------------------- Bb .. F

Bb major 7th ---------------------- Bb D F + A
Bb major add9 -------------------- Bb D F + A + C
Bb sus7 ---------------------------- Bb .. F + A

Bb major 9th ----------------------- Bb D F + C
Bb sus2 ---------------------------- Bb .. F + C  ------- (F sus4)

Bb major 11th ---------------------- Bb D F + E
Bb sus4 ---------------------------- Bb .. F + E        ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

Bb major 6th/13th -------------- Bb D F + G
Bb sus6 ---------------------------- Bb .. F + G

Compare the Bb major 13th to the G minor 7th below

G minor --------------------------- G Bb D
G minor 3rd ---------------------- G Bb
G 5 -------------------------------- G .. D

G minor 7th ---------------------- G Bb D + F
G minor add9 -------------------- G Bb D + F + A
G sus7 ---------------------------- G .. D + F

G minor 9th ---------------------- G Bb D + A
G sus2 ---------------------------- G .. D + A  ------- (D minor sus4)

G minor 11th -------------------- G Bb D + C
G sus4 ---------------------------- G .. D + C

G minor 6th/13th --------------- G Bb D + E
G sus7 ---------------------------- G .. D + E

Compare the G minor 13th to the E diminished 7th below

E diminished ---------------------- E G Bb
E minor 3rd ----------------------- E G ..
E (b5) ------------------------------ E .. Bb        ------- (Tritonics)...

E diminished 7th ----------------- E G Bb + D
E diminished add9 --------------- E G Bb + D + F
E sus7 ------------------------------ E .. Bb + D      ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

E diminished 9th ----------------- E G Bb + F
E dim. sus7 ----------------------- E .. Bb + F       ------- (Bb sus4)...

E diminished 11th ----------------- E G Bb + A
E dim. sus4 ------------------------- E .. Bb + A      ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

E diminished 6th/13th -------- E G Bb + C

Compare the E diminished 13th to the C major 7th below

C major ------------------------------ C E G
C major 3rd ------------------------- C E ..
C 5 ----------------------------------- C .. G

C major 7th ------------------------- C E G + Bb
C major add9 ----------------------- C E G + Bb + D
C sus7 ------------------------------- C .. G + Bb

C major 9th ------------------------- C E G + D
C sus2 ------------------------------- C .. G + D  ------- (G minor sus4)

C major 11th ------------------------ C E G + F
C sus4 ------------------------------- C .. G + F

C major 6th/13th  ----------------- C E G + A
C sus6  ------------------------------- C .. G + A

Compare the C major 13th to the A minor 7th below

A minor ------------------------------ A C E
A minor 3rd ------------------------- A C ..
A 5 ------------------------------------ A .. E

A minor 7th -------------------------- A C E + G
A minor add9 ----------------------- A C E + G + Bb
A sus7 -------------------------------- A .. E + G

A minor 9th ------------------------- A C E + Bb
A sus2 ------------------------------- A .. E + Bb  ------- (E dim. sus4)

A minor 11th ------------------------- A C E + D
A sus4 -------------------------------- A ... E + D

A minor 6th/13th ----------------- A C E + F
A sus6 ------------------------------- A .. E + F

Compare the A minor 13th to the F major 7th at the very top

    * The 13th chord is most often named a 6th chord (A minor 6th = A minor 13th) the chord building structure indicates that a 6th chord, contrary to what others believe, should be named 13th. If the naming of this extension as a 6th is the proper way then why isn't there a A minor 8th, A minor 10th, and A minor 12th or A minor 14th... (See our 14th chords lesson)...

   For more information on the 13th chords, check out our lesson on 6th chords and our lesson on Chord Building You are currently looking at the Key of F, the best keys to change to from here are the Key of Bb and the key of C).