Tools / Chords / F major 7th

F major 7th chord on guitar (Fmaj7)

Also written Fmaj7 or FM7

F major 7th contains F, A, C, and E. The open position requires a wide stretch and precise finger placement.

Open1-0-2-2-1-0

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

F1Root

A3Major 3rd

C5Perfect 5th

E7Major 7th

Formula 1, 3, 5, 7

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

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

Root positionF–A–C–EFmaj7Bass F

First inversionA–C–E–FFmaj7/ABass A

Second inversionC–E–F–AFmaj7/CBass C

Third inversionE–F–A–CFmaj7/EBass E

Why it sounds like that

F major 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 7. The major 7th interval from F to E gives the chord its warm, romantic quality. Compare it to F major, which omits the E.

What goes wrong with F major 7th?

The pinky fails to press the G string cleanly, causing a buzz.
The ring finger touches the B string, deadening it.
The index finger collapses onto the A string, muting the open note.

When to use it

F major 7th is the tonic in F major. Use it in progressions like F–B♭–C–F, the I–IV–V–I, or F–C–Dm–B♭, the I–V–vi–IV. It suits folk, soft rock, and ballads.

Changing to and from F major 7th

From F major 7th to F♯ major 7th: slide the whole shape up one fret, keeping the same finger pattern.
From F major 7th to G major 7th: slide the whole shape up two frets, keeping the same finger pattern.

Which voicing to use

The open position is the most common, but the 1st fret barre gives a warmer tone with the root on the low E string. The 3rd fret shape is a compact voicing without the low strings. The 8th fret barre offers a higher register with the root on the A string.

How do you play an F major 7th chord on guitar?

Open

Beginner● On the diagram

F major 7th is played in open position as 1 0 2 2 1 0: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, ring finger on the D string at fret 2, pinky finger on the G string at fret 2 and middle finger on the B string at fret 1. The A and high e strings ring open.

Tip — The open position requires a wide stretch between the index and pinky while keeping the high e string open.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	1	1	F (1)
5 (A)	open	—	A (3)
4 (D)	2	3	E (7)
3 (G)	2	4	A (3)
2 (B)	1	2	C (5)
1 (e)	open	—	E (7)

1st fret

Barre

F major 7th is played at the 1st fret as 1 3 2 2 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, pinky finger on the A string at fret 3, middle finger on the D string at fret 2 and ring finger on the G string at fret 2.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	1	1 (barre)	F (1)
5 (A)	3	4	C (5)
4 (D)	2	2	E (7)
3 (G)	2	3	A (3)
2 (B)	1	1 (barre)	C (5)
1 (e)	1	1 (barre)	F (1)

3rd fret

Intermediate

F major 7th is played at the 3rd fret as × × 3 5 5 5: index finger on the D string at fret 3, middle finger on the G string at fret 5, ring finger on the B string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 5. The low E and A strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	muted	—	—
4 (D)	3	1	F (1)
3 (G)	5	2	C (5)
2 (B)	5	3	E (7)
1 (e)	5	4	A (3)

8th fret

Barre

F major 7th is played at the 8th fret as × 8 10 9 10 8: barre your index finger across fret 8, ring finger on the D string at fret 10, middle finger on the G string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 10. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	8	1 (barre)	F (1)
4 (D)	10	3	C (5)
3 (G)	9	2	E (7)
2 (B)	10	4	A (3)
1 (e)	8	1 (barre)	C (5)

13th fret

Barre

F major 7th is played at the 13th fret as 13 15 14 14 13 13: barre your index finger across fret 13, pinky finger on the A string at fret 15, middle finger on the D string at fret 14 and ring finger on the G string at fret 14.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	13	1 (barre)	F (1)
5 (A)	15	4	C (5)
4 (D)	14	2	E (7)
3 (G)	14	3	A (3)
2 (B)	13	1 (barre)	C (5)
1 (e)	13	1 (barre)	F (1)

Common questions

How is F major 7th written?

F major 7th is written as FM7 or Fmaj7. No enharmonic spelling is needed.

What is the difference between F major 7th and F dominant 7th?

Its verified note order explains the sound without relying on outside harmony. The major 7th sounds more resolved and less bluesy.

Why does the open F major 7th shape include the low E string?

The low E string is fretted at the 1st fret to play the root note F. This gives the chord a full, rich bass.

Can F major 7th be played as a barre chord?

Yes, the 1st fret position is a barre chord with the root on the low E string. It is movable and useful for higher voicings.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

F (1)

5 (A)

open

—

A (3)

4 (D)

E (7)

3 (G)

A (3)

2 (B)

C (5)

1 (e)

open

—

E (7)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

F (1)

5 (A)

C (5)

4 (D)

E (7)

3 (G)

A (3)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

C (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

F (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

muted

—

4 (D)

F (1)

3 (G)

C (5)

2 (B)

E (7)

1 (e)

A (3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

1 (barre)

F (1)

4 (D)

C (5)

3 (G)

E (7)

2 (B)

A (3)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

C (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

F (1)

5 (A)

C (5)

4 (D)

E (7)

3 (G)

A (3)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

C (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

F (1)