Explore chords · Guitar
F♯ diminished major 7th chord on guitar (F♯dimMaj7)
Also called or written F♯dimMaj7, F♯dimM7, F♯°M7, F♯ augmented minor seventh or F♯ minor seventh sharp five
F♯ diminished major 7th is built from F♯, A, C and E♯. The open shape uses five strings and mutes only the high e.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7
- Root positionF♯–A–C–E♯F♯dimMaj72-0-3-2-1-×
- First inversionA–C–E♯–F♯F♯dimMaj7/A×-0-3-2-1-2
- Second inversionC–E♯–F♯–AF♯dimMaj7/C×-3-3-2-×-2
- Third inversionE♯–F♯–A–CF♯dimMaj7/E♯×-×-3-2-1-2
How do you play an F♯ diminished major 7th chord on guitar?
F♯ diminished major 7th is played in open position as 2 0 3 2 1 ×: middle finger on the low E string at fret 2, pinky finger on the D string at fret 3, ring finger on the G string at fret 2 and index finger on the B string at fret 1. The A string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 4 | E♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 | C (♭5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe pinky on the D string at fret 3 must stretch past the ring finger on the G string at fret 2, while the high e string stays muted.
2nd fret
F♯ diminished major 7th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 3 3 2 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 2, ring finger on the A string at fret 3, pinky finger on the D string at fret 3 and middle finger on the G string at fret 2. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 4 | E♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
4th fret
F♯ diminished major 7th is played at the 4th fret as × × 4 5 6 5: index finger on the D string at fret 4, middle finger on the G string at fret 5, pinky finger on the B string at fret 6 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 5. 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) | 4 | 1 | F♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 2 | C (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 4 | E♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 3 | A (♭3) |
9th fret
F♯ diminished major 7th is played at the 9th fret as × 9 10 10 10 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 9, middle finger on the D string at fret 10, ring finger on the G string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 10. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 | F♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 2 | C (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 3 | E♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 4 | A (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
14th fret
F♯ diminished major 7th is played at the 14th fret as 14 15 15 14 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 14, ring finger on the A string at fret 15, pinky finger on the D string at fret 15 and middle finger on the G string at fret 14. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 14 | 1 | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 15 | 3 | C (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 15 | 4 | E♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 14 | 2 | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
F♯ diminished major 7th uses the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7. The diminished 5th between F♯ and C creates a tritone, and the major 7th E♯ is the leading tone. Compare it to F♯ minor 7th flat 5th, which lowers the 7th to E.
What goes wrong with F♯ diminished major 7th?
- Letting the high e string ring open and clash with the chord.
- Flattening the pinky onto the G string and muting the ♭3.
When to use it
F♯ diminished major 7th appears in F♯ minor progressions as a passing chord, often moving to F♯ minor or F♯ major 7th. The leading tone E♯ pulls to F♯, so use it before an F♯ major cadence. It suits gypsy jazz and dramatic film cues.
Changing to and from F♯ diminished major 7th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 3rd fret gives G diminished major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The open shape keeps the bass on F♯ and is the default. The 2nd fret shape repeats the voicing an octave higher, while the 14th fret adds a brighter register for solos.
Other F♯ chords
Common questions
How is F♯ diminished major 7th written?
F♯ diminished major 7th is written F♯°M7 or F♯dimM7. The ASCII root spelling is F#. It is also spelled G♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between F♯ diminished major 7th and F♯ minor 7th flat 5th?
F♯ diminished major 7th has a major 7th, E♯. F♯ minor 7th flat 5th lowers that note to E, giving a dominant-quality chord.
Why does F♯ diminished major 7th sound so unstable?
The diminished 5th between F♯ and C creates a tritone, and the major 7th E♯ sits a semitone below the octave. Both intervals demand resolution.