Tools / Chords / F minor 7th

F minor 7th chord on bass (Fm7)

Also written Fm7 or Fmin7

F minor 7th contains F, A♭, C, and E♭. The 1st-fret shape demands a pinky stretch to the 3rd fret, making it a challenging bass chord near the nut.

1st fret1-3-1-1

Positions on the neck1 of 4

How it’s built

F1Root

A♭♭3Minor 3rd

C5Perfect 5th

E♭♭7Minor 7th

Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7

Positions on the neck1 of 4

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionF–A♭–C–E♭Fm7Bass F

First inversionA♭–C–E♭–FFm7/A♭Bass A♭

Second inversionC–E♭–F–A♭Fm7/CBass C

Third inversionE♭–F–A♭–CFm7/E♭Bass E♭

Why it sounds like that

F minor 7th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7. The minor 7th interval from F to E♭ gives the chord its mellow, jazzy quality. Compare it with F minor, which lacks the E♭.

What goes wrong with F minor 7th?

Letting the pinky collapse and buzz the 3rd string.
Allowing the middle finger to touch the 1st string and mute the C.
Strumming before all fingers are firmly placed, causing a dead note.

When to use it

F minor 7th functions as the vi chord in A♭ major, appearing in progressions like A♭–E♭–Fm–D♭ (I–V–vi–IV). It suits jazz and ballads, often paired with A♭ major and D♭ major.

Changing to and from F minor 7th

Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives F♯ minor 7th.
From F minor 7th, move the pinky from the 3rd fret to the 4th fret on the A string to form G minor 7th.

Which voicing to use

Use the 1st-fret voicing for a root-position F minor 7th with a low F. The 13th-fret voicing is the same shape an octave higher, while the Fm7/C inversion at the 8th fret places the fifth in the bass for a smoother sound.

How do you play an F minor 7th chord on bass?

1st fret

Intermediate● On the diagram

F minor 7th is played at the 1st fret as 1 3 1 1: index finger on the E string at fret 1, pinky finger on the A string at fret 3, middle finger on the D string at fret 1 and ring finger on the G string at fret 1.

Tip — The pinky must reach the 3rd fret on the A string while the other fingers hold the 1st fret, requiring a wide stretch near the nut where frets are widest.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (E)	1	1	F (1)
3 (A)	3	4	C (5)
2 (D)	1	2	E♭ (♭7)
1 (G)	1	3	A♭ (♭3)

13th fret

Intermediate

F minor 7th is played at the 13th fret as 13 15 13 13: index finger on the E string at fret 13, pinky finger on the A string at fret 15, middle finger on the D string at fret 13 and ring finger on the G string at fret 13.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (E)	13	1	F (1)
3 (A)	15	4	C (5)
2 (D)	13	2	E♭ (♭7)
1 (G)	13	3	A♭ (♭3)

Fm7/C inversion

Intermediate

F minor 7th is played at the 6th fret as 8 8 6 8: middle finger on the E string at fret 8, ring finger on the A string at fret 8, index finger on the D string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (E)	8	2	C (5)
3 (A)	8	3	F (1)
2 (D)	6	1	A♭ (♭3)
1 (G)	8	4	E♭ (♭7)

Fm7/E♭ inversion

Barre

F minor 7th is played at the 10th fret as 11 11 10 10: barre your index finger across fret 10, middle finger on the E string at fret 11 and ring finger on the A string at fret 11.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (E)	11	2	E♭ (♭7)
3 (A)	11	3	A♭ (♭3)
2 (D)	10	1 (barre)	C (5)
1 (G)	10	1 (barre)	F (1)

Common questions

How does F minor 7th differ from F minor?

F minor 7th adds the note E♭, a minor 7th above F, to the F minor triad. The added seventh creates a softer, more complex sound that pulls toward the sixth degree.

What is the best way to finger the 1st-fret shape?

Use the index finger on the 4th string, middle on the 2nd, ring on the 1st, and pinky on the 3rd string. Keep the thumb low on the neck to allow the pinky to reach the 3rd fret without strain.

Can F minor 7th be played with open strings?

No, the root F is on the 1st fret of the E string, so all notes are fretted in the default voicing. An open-string voicing would require a different inversion, such as the Fm7/C shape at the 8th fret.

Why is the Fm7/E♭ inversion useful?

The Fm7/E♭ inversion places the seventh, E♭, in the bass, creating a descending bass line when moving to D♭ major or C minor.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (E)

F (1)

3 (A)

C (5)

2 (D)

E♭ (♭7)

1 (G)

A♭ (♭3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (E)

F (1)

3 (A)

C (5)

2 (D)

E♭ (♭7)

1 (G)

A♭ (♭3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (E)

C (5)

3 (A)

F (1)

2 (D)

A♭ (♭3)

1 (G)

E♭ (♭7)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (E)

E♭ (♭7)

3 (A)

A♭ (♭3)

2 (D)

1 (barre)

C (5)

1 (G)

1 (barre)

F (1)