Tools / Chords / F♯ 7th

F♯ 7th chord on guitar (F♯7)

Also written F♯7, F♯ or F♯ Dominant 7th

F♯ 7th contains F♯, A♯, C♯, and E. This advanced barre chord demands a full six-string grip at the 2nd fret.

2nd fret2-4-2-3-2-2

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

F♯1Root

A♯3Major 3rd

C♯5Perfect 5th

E♭7Minor 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♯–EF♯7Bass F♯

First inversionA♯–C♯–E–F♯F♯7/A♯Bass A♯

Second inversionC♯–E–F♯–A♯F♯7/C♯Bass C♯

Third inversionE–F♯–A♯–C♯F♯7/EBass E

Why it sounds like that

F♯ 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, ♭7 — F♯, A♯, C♯, and E. The minor 7th interval from F♯ to E gives the chord its dominant pull. Compare it to F♯ major, which omits the E and sounds resolved.

What goes wrong with F♯ 7th?

The 4th string buzzes because the index barre lifts slightly at that point.
The pinky on the 5th string accidentally touches the 4th string, deadening it.
The ring finger on the 3rd string flattens and mutes the 2nd string.

When to use it

F♯ 7th is the V chord in B major, resolving to B major. In the progression I–IV–V–I, play B major–E major–F♯ 7th–B major. It suits blues, funk, and rock rhythm parts where the dominant tension is wanted.

Changing to and from F♯ 7th

Sliding the shape down one fret to the 1st fret gives F 7th; keep the barre pressure even during the move.
Sliding the shape up one fret to the 3rd fret gives G 7th; lift the pinky slightly to avoid scraping.

Which voicing to use

The 2nd fret voicing puts F♯ in the bass and is the fullest grip. The F♯7/A♯ inversion at the 4th fret places A♯ in the bass, softening the root movement for voice leading.

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

2nd fret

Barre● On the diagram

F♯ 7th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 4 2 3 2 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, pinky finger on the A string at fret 4 and ring finger on the G string at fret 3.

Tip — The index barre must fret the 6th, 4th, 2nd, and 1st strings cleanly while the pinky stretches to the 4th fret.

String-by-string breakdown

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

4th fret

Intermediate

F♯ 7th is played at the 4th fret as × × 4 6 5 6: index finger on the D string at fret 4, ring finger on the G string at fret 6, middle finger on the B string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 6. The low E and A strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

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

9th fret

Barre

F♯ 7th is played at the 9th fret as × 9 11 9 11 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, ring finger on the D string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 11. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	9	1 (barre)	F♯ (1)
4 (D)	11	3	C♯ (5)
3 (G)	9	1 (barre)	E (♭7)
2 (B)	11	4	A♯ (3)
1 (e)	9	1 (barre)	C♯ (5)

F♯7/A♯ inversion · fret 4

Barre

F♯ 7th is played at the 4th fret as 6 4 4 6 5 ×: barre your index finger across fret 4, ring finger on the low E string at fret 6, pinky finger on the G string at fret 6 and middle finger on the B string at fret 5. The high e string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

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

F♯7/A♯ inversion · fret 6

Barre

F♯ 7th is played at the 6th fret as 6 7 8 6 7 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the A string at fret 7, pinky finger on the D string at fret 8 and ring finger on the B string at fret 7.

String-by-string breakdown

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

Common questions

How is F♯ 7th written?

F♯ 7th is written F♯7, and the root can be typed as F#. It is also called Dominant 7th or Major Minor 7th. It is also spelled G♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.

What is the difference between F♯7 and F♯ major?

F♯7 adds the minor 7th E to the F♯ major triad F♯–A♯–C♯. That E creates a tritone with A♯, giving the dominant pull. F♯ major sounds stable; F♯7 wants to resolve.

Why is the 2nd fret shape called a barre chord?

The index finger presses down all six strings across the 2nd fret. This lets the chord move up and down the neck. The other fingers add the 3rd and 5th.

Can I play F♯7 without the barre?

The 4th fret voicing uses only four strings and no barre, but it omits the low E string. It sounds thinner and is easier to fret. The 2nd fret barre gives the fullest sound.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

F♯ (1)

5 (A)

C♯ (5)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

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)

1 (barre)

E (♭7)

2 (B)

A♯ (3)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

C♯ (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

A♯ (3)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

C♯ (5)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

F♯ (1)

3 (G)

C♯ (5)

2 (B)

E (♭7)

1 (e)

muted

—

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

A♯ (3)

5 (A)

E (♭7)

4 (D)

A♯ (3)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

C♯ (5)

2 (B)

F♯ (1)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

A♯ (3)