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F♯ augmented major 7th chord on guitar (F♯augMaj7)
Also called or written F♯augMaj7, F♯augM7, F♯+M7, F♯M7#5, F♯maj+7, F♯ augmented major seventh or F♯ major seventh sharp five
F♯ augmented major 7th contains F♯, A♯, C♯♯, and E♯. The open D string rings between fretted notes on the low E, A, G, and high e strings, creating a wide stretch.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, 7
- Root positionF♯–A♯–C♯♯–E♯F♯augMaj72-1-0-3-×-1
- First inversionA♯–C♯♯–E♯–F♯F♯augMaj7/A♯×-13-12-11-11-13
- Second inversionC♯♯–E♯–F♯–A♯F♯augMaj7/C♯♯10-9-8-10-×-×
- Third inversionE♯–F♯–A♯–C♯♯F♯augMaj7/E♯×-×-3-3-3-2
How do you play an F♯ augmented major 7th chord on guitar?
F♯ augmented major 7th is played in open position as 2 1 0 3 × 1: ring finger on the low E string at fret 2, index finger on the A string at fret 1, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 1. The D string rings open. The B string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 3 | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | A♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | C♯♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 4 | A♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 2 | E♯ (7) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach the 3rd fret on the G string while the index finger holds the 1st fret on the A string, creating a wide stretch.
1st fret
F♯ augmented major 7th is played at the 1st fret as 2 1 3 × 3 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, middle finger on the low E string at fret 2, ring finger on the D string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3. The G string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 3 | E♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | C♯♯ (♯5) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♯ (7) |
2nd fret
F♯ augmented major 7th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 × 3 3 3 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, middle finger on the D string at fret 3, ring finger on the G string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 2 | E♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | A♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | C♯♯ (♯5) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
8th fret
F♯ augmented major 7th is played at the 8th fret as × 9 8 10 × 10: middle finger on the A string at fret 9, index finger on the D string at fret 8, ring finger on the G string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 10. The low E and B strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 2 | F♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 1 | A♯ (3) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 3 | E♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 4 | C♯♯ (♯5) |
12th fret
F♯ augmented major 7th is played at the 12th fret as 14 13 12 × × 13: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 14, middle finger on the A string at fret 13, index finger on the D string at fret 12 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 13. The G and B strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 14 | 4 | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 2 | A♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 1 | C♯♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 3 | E♯ (7) |
Why it sounds like that
F♯ augmented major 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, ♯5, 7. The augmented 5th, C♯♯, is what separates it from the F♯ major 7th, where the 5th is C♯. The major 3rd and major 7th remain unchanged.
What goes wrong with F♯ augmented major 7th?
- Letting the B string ring instead of muting it.
- Fretting the G string with the ring finger instead of the pinky, causing the note to go sharp.
- Allowing the middle finger to touch the B string, muting the muted string.
When to use it
F♯ augmented major 7th works as a substitute for F♯ major 7th when the melody moves to the ♯5. It fits jazz ballads and passages that need a brighter, more restless major sound.
Changing to and from F♯ augmented major 7th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives G augmented major 7th.
- Sliding the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret gives A♭ augmented major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps F♯ in the bass and is the default. The 1st fret voicing repeats the same shape an octave higher, while the 2nd fret voicing puts F♯ in the bass with a different fingering.
Other F♯ chords
Common questions
How is F♯ augmented major 7th written?
F♯ augmented major 7th is written F♯+M7, M7#5, maj+7, or F♯augM7. The ASCII root is F#. It is also spelled G♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between F♯ augmented major 7th and F♯ augmented?
F♯ augmented major 7th adds the major 7th, E♯, to the F♯ augmented triad F♯–A♯–C♯♯. The 7th creates a leading tone back to F♯ major.
Why does the B string get muted?
The B string is muted because B is not a chord tone in F♯ augmented major 7th. Playing it would add an unintended 5th below the root.