Major 7th chord · F# root
F#maj7 chord
- F#1
- A#3
- C#5
- E#7
The F# major 7th chord (also called the Gbmaj7 chord — same notes, different spelling) is built from the notes F#, A#, C#, E#. A major 7th shape you will meet in barre-chord territory.
By Chiye · Updated
What is the F#maj7 chord?
The F#maj7 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 as a movable shape from fret 2 (2-4-3-3-2-2); shift all fretted notes together to transpose it along the neck. It is rated intermediate. A soft, jazzy chord heard all over neo-soul and bossa. 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 F#maj7 chord on guitar?
Fret 2 barre — a movable shape, so this same fingering works for every root note.
- Lay your index finger flat across the low E to high E strings at fret 2, rolled slightly onto its bony edge.
- Press the A string at fret 4 with your ring finger.
- Press the D string at fret 3 with your middle finger.
- Press the G string at fret 3 with your middle finger.
- Strum all six strings and let every one ring.
Leave out the lowest fretted note (low E 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-4-3-3-2-2
How do you make F#maj7 sound clean?
F#maj7 takes a full barre at the 2nd fret and still needs the index to hold the two thinnest strings at the same fret. The first to go quiet is the high F# — a doubled root — and the chord then sounds thin at the wrong end.
Play F# (2-4-4-3-2-2) then F#maj7 (2-4-3-3-2-2). One fret on the fourth string is the entire difference between a major triad and a major seventh.
In real songs
F#maj7 in songs
None of the 90 songs charted on this site use F#maj7 yet — it is a colour chord rather than a songwriting staple.
What other ways can you play F#maj7 up the neck?
2 more positions below. These are the same notes in a different part of the neck. Choosing the position closest to the chord you just played is what stops your hand jumping between changes.
Position 2 · Fret 4 barre
No open strings, so this is a movable shape: slide it up or down and the same fingering gives you a different chord name.
One bar does most of the work. Roll that finger onto its bony edge and pull the elbow slightly in — a barre that buzzes is almost always a position problem, not a strength problem.
Position 3 · Fret 9 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.
The theory behind F#maj7
F#maj7 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.
F#maj7 on other instruments
F# – A# – C# – E# — the highlighted black keys are the sharps or flats; play each note once, then move them into one hand position.
Take it to the practice room
