Guitar · major second inversion
F/C Chord on Guitar
F/C is C, F, A — the 5-1-3 pattern of a major second inversion chord. Here is the shape, the audio, and what usually goes wrong.
There is no open F/C on guitar. The one shape below sits up the neck and is rated intermediate.
Start here — Open Position (C in the bass)
Fingered low on the neck with no barre — a useful middle step between the open shape and the movable ones.
What beginners get wrong
Moving in and out of it
The shape above: Open Position (C in the bass).
Listening: each shape above has its own play button, and each one plays the notes that shape actually produces — not a generic triad.
F/C on other instruments
Same notes, different hands. Every link below is a real page with diagrams and audio.
Or see F/C on every instrument at once.
Chords next door
Same root, different colour — and all of them playable on guitar.
F/C on Guitar — questions people ask
What is the easiest way to play F/C on guitar?
“Open Position (C in the bass)” — which we rate intermediate — is the easiest F/C shape on guitar. Fingered low on the neck with no barre — a useful middle step between the open shape and the movable ones. There is no open F/C on guitar, so a barre is unavoidable; this is the least demanding one.
What notes are in the F/C chord?
F/C is C, F, A — the 5-1-3 interval pattern of a major second inversion chord. Every voicing on this page uses those notes and nothing else; they just appear in a different order and octave.
What can I play instead of F/C?
The nearest stand-ins on guitar that keep the same root are Fsus4, Fsus2, F. They keep the root and the fifth and only change what sits in the middle, so most songs still work — but check the swap against the melody, because the note you removed may be the one the tune is singing.
Can I play F/C on other instruments?
Yes. F/C is the same set of notes everywhere; only the fingering changes. This site has diagrams and audio for it on piano.
Learn the theory behind F/C
The shape gets your fingers there. These explain why it sounds the way it does.
Chord Inversions and Slash Chords — Same Notes, Different Attitude
Same notes, different bass note — what the slash in the name is actually doing.
5 min read
Voice Leading — Hold What You Can, Move Only What You Must
Inversions exist so your fingers move less between chords. This is the technique behind them.
6 min read
Functional Harmony: Three Roles, One Engine
An inverted chord still has a job in the key. Here is how to hear it.
6 min read