slash chord · F root
F/A chord
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The F over A chord is built from the notes A, F, A, C. It turns up 1 times in the 104 songs on this site, including Piano Man.
By Chiye · Updated
What is the F/A chord?
The F/A chord (F over A) is a slash chord built from four notes: A, F, A, C — the 1–3–5 of the F scale, 4 semitones and 7 semitones above the root. On guitar it is most often played in open position (x-0-3-2-1-1) with 4 fretted strings while 1 string rings open and the low E string stays silent. It is rated intermediate. The same triad with a different note placed in the bass, so the chord keeps its identity while the lowest voice walks underneath it. Across the 104 song sheets in this site's library, F/A appears 1 times in 1 song, most often in the key of C, and the chord it most often moves to is C/G. Below you will find step-by-step fingering, audio of every shape, and the real progressions this chord lives inside.
How do you play the F/A chord on guitar?
Open position. The barre covers only part of the strings; keep the marked open strings ringing.
- Lay your index finger flat across the B to high E strings at fret 1, rolled slightly onto its bony edge.
- Press the D string at fret 3 with your pinky finger.
- Press the G string at fret 2 with your ring finger.
- Start your strum on the A string and do not play the low E string at all.
Leave out the lowest fretted note (D string) and practise the remaining strings. The bass changes, and the upper strings may still need a smaller barre; check that the third and other colour tones stay clear. x-0-x-2-1-1
How do you make F/A sound clean?
F/A is F with the bass moved, not a new barre shape.
F → F/A → Bb: listen to the bass move while the top of the chord stays still.
In real songs
What songs use the F/A chord?
- chord changes
- 1
- songs
- 1
- common keys
- C
Across the 104 chord sheets on this site, F/A appears 1 time in 1 song — most often in the key of C.
CG/BF/AC/GFC/ED7G
Chord flow
What chord comes after F/A?
Those figures are counted from the 104 chord sheets on this site, so they describe what songwriters actually played rather than what theory says should come next.
Three-chord moves
Three-chord moves are where a chord really shows its character. These are the ones that actually happen in this library, counted from the sheets:
The theory behind F/A
F/A is spelled A – F – A – C — the 1 – 3 – 5 of the F scale, which is the root plus 4 semitones, 7 semitones. The same triad with a different note placed in the bass, so the chord keeps its identity while the lowest voice walks underneath it.
The letter after the slash is a bass note, not a new chord. F/A is the same F shape with one low string fretted differently, which is how a bass line walks underneath a chord that is not moving.
What key is the F/A chord in?
F/A is the F major triad with A in the bass, so it stands in for the same three chords: the I in F major, the IV in C major and the V in Bb major.
the home chord — songs resolve here
the subdominant — the chord that leaves home
the dominant — the chord that pulls back home
F/A on other instruments
A – F – A – C — all white keys, so you can find the shape by counting up from C.
Take it to the practice room
