Major 7th chord · F root
Fmaj7 chord
- F1
- A3
- C5
- E7
The F major 7th chord is built from the notes F, A, C, E. It turns up 15 times in the 104 songs on this site, including Black Orpheus and Fly Me to the Moon.
By Chiye · Updated
What is the Fmaj7 chord?
The Fmaj7 chord (F major 7th) is a major 7th chord built from four notes: F, A, C, E — the 1–3–5–7 of the F scale, 4 semitones and 7 semitones and 11 semitones above the root. On guitar it is most often played in open position (x-x-3-2-1-0) with 3 fretted strings while 1 string rings open and the low E string stays silent. It is rated beginner — most players learn it in their first weeks. A soft, jazzy chord heard all over neo-soul and bossa. Across the 104 song sheets in this site's library, Fmaj7 appears 15 times in 5 songs, most often in the keys of F and C, and the chord it most often moves to is C. Below you will find step-by-step fingering, 3 positions up the neck, audio of every shape, and the real progressions this chord lives inside.
How do you play the Fmaj7 chord on guitar?
Open position — the easiest version of Fmaj7 on the guitar.
- Press the D string at fret 3 with your ring finger.
- Press the G string at fret 2 with your middle finger.
- Press the B string at fret 1 with your index finger.
- Start your strum on the D string and leave the low E and A strings out.
The x marks are part of the shape, not an accident: the chord only sounds right when low E and A stay silent. Instead of aiming your pick around those strings, let a spare finger rest on it and damp it. x-x-3-2-1-0
How do you make Fmaj7 sound clean?
Letting the thumb creep over and mute the high E kills the shimmer that makes Fmaj7 worth playing. Keep the thumb anchored mid-neck.
Fmaj7 → C: both share the ringing open high E — hear the common tone instead of watching your fingers.
In real songs
What songs use the Fmaj7 chord?
- chord changes
- 15
- songs
- 5
- common keys
- F · C
Across the 104 chord sheets on this site, Fmaj7 appears 15 times in 5 songs — most often in the keys of F and C.
Dm7Cm9Fmaj7A#7
Fmaj7A#7A7Dm7
Fmaj7Bm7b5E7Am7
All 5 songs that use Fmaj7— key, capo and a link to every sheet
| Song | Artist | Key | Capo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Orpheus | Luiz Bonfa | Dm | — |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Bart Howard | C | — |
| Let Her Go | Passenger | G | 7 |
| Riptide | Vance Joy | Bbm | 1 |
| The Scientist | Coldplay | F | 5 |
Chord flow
What chord comes after Fmaj7?
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:
What other ways can you play Fmaj7 up the neck?
2 more positions below. Learn one of these well and the rest become optional. The value of a second position is practical: it keeps your fretting hand near where the song is already heading.
Position 2 · Fret 3 barre
Because nothing rings open, you can move this whole shape to any fret and it keeps the same quality — only the letter name changes.
A single bar covers the rest of the strings here. If the inside strings stay dead, move the bar a millimetre closer to the fret wire before you try pressing harder.
Position 3 · Fret 8 barre
Every note here is fretted, which means the shape transposes anywhere on the neck without changing your fingers.
The barre is the only hard part of this shape. Keep the bar finger straight and use the weight of your arm rather than the grip of your thumb.
Watch the Fmaj7 chord
Video: JustinGuitar on YouTube — embedded with the official player; credit and views belong to the creator.
The theory behind Fmaj7
Fmaj7 is spelled F – A – C – E — the 1 – 3 – 5 – 7 of the F scale, which is the root plus 4 semitones, 7 semitones, 11 semitones. A soft, jazzy chord heard all over neo-soul and bossa.
The major seventh sits a semitone under the octave, which is why it sounds soft rather than tense. On guitar it is usually the highest fretted note, so it is also the first note to disappear if your finger rolls off.
Fmaj7 on other instruments
2 4 1 0
The same chord on four strings in standard tuning. Because the uke is tuned higher, this shape sits at a different place on the neck than its guitar equivalent — useful when arranging for both instruments.
F – A – C – E — all white keys, so you can find the shape by counting up from C.
Take it to the practice room
