What Is This Thing Called Love in Fa

What Is This Thing Called Love in Fa

Cole Porter's composition builds dramatic tension through a minor bridge that introduces Locrian and Harmonic Minor color, contrasting sharply with the Bebop Major vocabulary of the major sections. The abrupt shift to the parallel minor key on the bridge is one of the most striking harmonic moves in the standard repertoire. This contrast between major-key swing and minor-key gravity is the tune's defining dramatic arc.

What Is This Thing Called Love in Fa

F major is the gateway to barre chords. While F itself requires a full barre at fret 1, the remaining diatonic chords (C, Dm, Am, G, Bb) mix open and barre shapes. The open high E acts as Fmaj7's seventh, adding unexpected richness. F is a intermediate-level key on guitar because the open high E string is the major seventh of F, creating a lush Fmaj7 resonance even in basic shapes, but the F barre chord itself is the first big hurdle for beginners. This key mixes open and barre shapes, making it a good intermediate challenge that builds fretboard fluency.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through C to F (ascending perfect fourth), F to A# (ascending perfect fourth), A# to G (descending minor third), G to C (ascending perfect fourth), C to F (ascending perfect fourth), F to G (ascending whole step), G to C (ascending perfect fourth). The root motion by larger intervals (fourths and fifths) gives each chord change a strong, decisive character. When the progression loops, the bass returns from C to C by unison.

Scales for Improvisation

F major pentatonic works because every note is either a chord tone or a safe passing tone — there are no avoid notes. For soloing, this means you can play freely without clashing. Over dominant seventh chords, F Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.