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F♯ minor 7th chord on guitar (F♯m7)
Also called or written F♯m7 or F♯min7
F♯ minor 7th contains F♯, A, C♯, and E. The 2nd fret voicing is a full barre chord that demands a strong index finger.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7
- Root positionF♯–A–C♯–EF♯m72-4-2-2-2-2
- First inversionA–C♯–E–F♯F♯m7/A×-0-2-2-2-2
- Second inversionC♯–E–F♯–AF♯m7/C♯×-4-2-2-2-2
- Third inversionE–F♯–A–C♯F♯m7/E0-0-2-2-2-2
How do you play an F♯ minor 7th chord on guitar?
F♯ minor 7th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 4 2 2 2 2: barre your index finger across fret 2 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 4.
Full note and interval 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) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
AdvancedThe index finger must barre all six strings at the 2nd fret while the pinky stretches to the 4th fret on the A string.
4th fret
F♯ minor 7th is played at the 4th fret as × × 4 6 5 5: index finger on the D string at fret 4, pinky finger on the G string at fret 6, middle finger on the B string at fret 5 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) | 6 | 4 | C♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 2 | E (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 3 | A (♭3) |
9th fret
F♯ minor 7th is played at the 9th fret as × 9 11 9 10 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, pinky finger on the D string at fret 11 and ring finger on the B string at fret 10. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 4 | C♯ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 3 | A (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
F♯m7/A inversion · open position
F♯ minor 7th is played in open position as × 0 2 2 2 2: barre your index finger across fret 2. The A string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 (barre) | E (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
F♯m7/A inversion · fret 4
F♯ minor 7th is played at the 4th fret as 5 4 4 6 5 ×: barre your index finger across fret 4, middle finger on the low E string at fret 5, pinky finger on the G string at fret 6 and ring finger on the B string at fret 5. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 2 | 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 | 3 | E (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
F♯ minor 7th is built from 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7. The ♭7 adds a mellow edge to the minor triad. Compare it with F♯ minor, which has no seventh.
What goes wrong with F♯ minor 7th?
- The barre fails to press the high E string, causing a dead note.
- The pinky touches the D string, muting it.
- The barre fails to press the low E string, causing a dead note.
When to use it
F♯ minor 7th works in the I–V–vi–IV progression in A major: A major–E major–F♯ minor–D major. It suits rock, pop, and ballads.
Changing to and from F♯ minor 7th
- Slide the shape up one fret to the 3rd fret to get <a href="/guitar/g-minor-7-chord">G minor 7th</a>.
Which voicing to use
The 2nd fret barre is the standard voicing. The 9th fret barre is easier to play because the frets are closer together. The F♯m7/A inversion puts the third in the bass for a darker sound.
Other F♯ chords
Common questions
How is F♯ minor 7th written?
F♯ minor 7th is written as F♯min7 or F♯m7. The ASCII root is F#. It is also spelled G♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between F♯ minor 7th and F♯ minor?
F♯ minor 7th adds the note E to the F♯ minor triad. That E is a minor 7th above F♯, giving the chord a softer, more colorful sound.
Why does the 2nd fret voicing use all six strings?
All six strings are fretted or barred to produce chord tones. The low E is the root, giving a strong bass foundation.