F♭ Major Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes

The F♭ Major chord is built on the root note F♭. Its notes are F♭, A♭ and C♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as E Major.

Major chords feel bright, stable and resolved. A root, a major third and a perfect fifth give them a happy, confident sound. Most popular music is built on them.

Root
Quality

F♭ Major on piano

View:
Piano diagram of the F♭ Major chord

Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.

To play F♭ Major on piano, place your right-hand thumb on F♭, middle finger on A♭, and little finger on C♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.

F♭ Major on guitar

View:
Guitar chord diagram of the F♭ Major chord

Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.

On guitar, F♭ Major is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre shape: keep the index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram.

Play the chord

F♭ Major
F♭ · A♭ · C♭

F♭ Major chord notes

Formula: 1 · 3 · 5Notes: F♭ · A♭ · C♭Also known as: E Major
DegreeIntervalSemitonesNote
1Root0F♭(Fb)
3Major third4A♭(Ab)
5Perfect fifth7C♭(Cb)

How to use the F♭ Major chord

The F♭ Major chord is built from a root, a major third and a perfect fifth. Start at the root F♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: F♭, A♭ and C♭. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.

You'll find major chords in almost every style of popular music: rock anthems, country ballads, pop hits and hymns. They commonly appear as the I, IV and V chords in a major key.

Common progressions

The F♭ Major chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.

Pop progression
I → V → vi → IV
Classic I-IV-V
I → IV → V → I
50s progression
I → vi → IV → V

Scales that contain F♭

These scales include F♭ as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.

Once F♭ Major feels comfortable, the chords below open up new progressions. Each one shares notes, keys or a harmonic function with it, which is what makes it the natural place to go next.

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the F♭ Major chord?
The F♭ Major chord contains F♭, A♭ and C♭ (Fb, Ab and Cb in plain text).
Is the F♭ Major chord major or minor?
F♭ Major is a major chord. Major chords feel bright, stable and resolved. A root, a major third and a perfect fifth give them a happy, confident sound. Most popular music is built on them.
How do you play F♭ Major on piano?
Place your fingers on F♭, A♭ and C♭ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right.
How do you play F♭ Major on guitar?
F♭ Major is typically played with the fingering shown in the diagram above. If one of the chord tones lines up with an open string, an open position is worth trying too.
What is another name for the F♭ Major chord?
F♭ Major is enharmonically equivalent to E Major. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.

Keep exploring

Deepen your understanding of the F♭ Major chord with our other music theory tools.