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F minor major 7th chord on guitar (FmMaj7)
Also called or written FmMaj7, Fminmaj7, Fmmaj7, FmM7, F Minor Sharp 7 or F Minor ♯7
F minor major 7th is built from F, A♭, C, and E. The 1st fret voicing uses a full barre, making it a demanding but powerful shape.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7
- Root positionF–A♭–C–EFmMaj71-3-2-1-1-1
- First inversionA♭–C–E–FFmMaj7/A♭4-3-3-5-5-×
- Second inversionC–E–F–A♭FmMaj7/C×-3-2-1-1-1
- Third inversionE–F–A♭–CFmMaj7/E0-3-3-1-1-0
How do you play an F minor major 7th chord on guitar?
F minor major 7th is played at the 1st fret as 1 3 2 1 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, pinky finger on the A string at fret 3 and ring finger on the D string at fret 2.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 4 | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 3 | E (7) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
AdvancedThe full barre at the 1st fret requires significant finger strength to fret all six strings cleanly while the pinky stretches to the 3rd fret.
Open — the easy shape, no barre
F minor major 7th is played in open position as × × 3 1 1 0: ring finger on the D string at fret 3, index finger on the G string at fret 1 and middle finger on the B string at fret 1. The high e string rings open. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 3 | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (7) |
3rd fret
F minor major 7th is played at the 3rd fret as × × 3 5 5 4: index finger on the D string at fret 3, ring finger on the G string at fret 5, pinky finger on the B string at fret 5 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 3 | C (5) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 4 | E (7) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 2 | A♭ (♭3) |
8th fret
F minor major 7th is played at the 8th fret as × 8 10 9 9 8: barre your index finger across fret 8, pinky finger on the D string at fret 10, middle finger on the G string at fret 9 and ring finger on the B string at fret 9. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 4 | C (5) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 2 | E (7) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 3 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
13th fret
F minor major 7th is played at the 13th fret as 13 15 14 13 13 13: barre your index finger across fret 13, pinky finger on the A string at fret 15 and ring finger on the D string at fret 14.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 15 | 4 | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 14 | 3 | E (7) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
Why it sounds like that
F minor major 7th stacks a minor triad (1, ♭3, 5) with a major seventh (7), giving the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7. The major seventh E is what gives this chord its distinctive tension. Compare it to F minor, which lacks that seventh and sounds more stable.
What goes wrong with F minor major 7th?
- Buzzing the high e string under the barre.
- Muting the G string with the index finger by not pressing hard enough.
- Letting the pinky touch the D string, deadening it.
When to use it
F minor major 7th often appears as a tonic in F minor, moving to F minor or F suspended 4th. It suits dark jazz, metal ballads, and tense film cues.
Changing to and from F minor major 7th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives F♯ minor major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The 1st fret voicing is the easiest and has F in the bass. The 13th fret barre voicing offers a higher-register version with the root on the low E string. The open voicing omits the low strings for a lighter sound.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F minor major 7th written?
F minor major 7th is written Fmmaj7, Fminmaj7, or FmM7. The symbol mmaj7 is also used.
Why does the 1st fret voicing use a full barre?
The barre frets the low E, G, B, and high e strings at the 1st fret. The other fingers add the A♭ and C on the A and D strings.
How does F minor major 7th differ from F minor 7th?
The displayed shape preserves only the supplied notes and interval formula. The major seventh creates a sharper, more leading-tone pull.
What scale does F minor major 7th come from?
F minor major 7th appears in F harmonic minor and F melodic minor scales. The raised seventh degree of those scales is the E in this chord.