Explore chords · Guitar
F♯ minor major 7th chord on guitar (F♯mMaj7)
Also called or written F♯mMaj7, F♯minmaj7, F♯mmaj7, F♯mM7, F♯ Minor Sharp 7 or F♯ Minor ♯7
F♯ minor major 7th is built from F♯, A, C♯, and E♯. The open voicing uses five strings, with the high e muted, giving it a slightly darker sound.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7
- Root positionF♯–A–C♯–E♯F♯mMaj72-0-3-2-2-×
- First inversionA–C♯–E♯–F♯F♯mMaj7/A×-0-3-2-2-2
- Second inversionC♯–E♯–F♯–AF♯mMaj7/C♯×-4-3-2-2-2
- Third inversionE♯–F♯–A–C♯F♯mMaj7/E♯×-×-3-2-2-2
How do you play an F♯ minor major 7th chord on guitar?
F♯ minor major 7th is played in open position as 2 0 3 2 2 ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 2, pinky finger on the D string at fret 3, middle finger on the G string at fret 2 and ring finger on the B string at fret 2. The A string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 4 | E♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | C♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires precise finger placement to avoid muting the open A string while fretting the adjacent low E string.
2nd fret
F♯ minor major 7th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 4 3 2 2 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, pinky finger on the A string at fret 4 and ring finger on the D string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 4 | C♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 3 | E♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
4th fret
F♯ minor major 7th is played at the 4th fret as × × 4 6 6 5: index finger on the D string at fret 4, ring finger on the G string at fret 6, pinky finger on the B string at fret 6 and middle 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 | 3 | C♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 4 | E♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 2 | A (♭3) |
9th fret
F♯ minor major 7th is played at the 9th fret as × 9 11 10 10 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, pinky finger on the D string at fret 11, middle finger on the G string at fret 10 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) | 10 | 2 | E♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 3 | A (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
F♯minmaj7/A inversion
F♯ minor major 7th is played in open position as × 0 3 2 2 2: barre your index finger across fret 2 and pinky finger on the D string at fret 3. 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) | 3 | 4 | E♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
F♯ minor major 7th combines 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, unresolved quality. Compare it to F♯ minor, which has only the triad and sounds more settled.
What goes wrong with F♯ minor major 7th?
- Letting the high e string ring, which is not a chord tone.
- Flattening the index finger onto the A string, deadening it.
- Muting the B string with the ring finger by flattening it.
When to use it
F♯ minor major 7th works as a tonic in F♯ minor, often 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
- Move to F♯ minor by lifting the pinky from the D string, leaving the other fingers in place.
Which voicing to use
The open position is the easiest and has F♯ in the bass. The 14th fret barre voicing gives a fuller sound with the root on the low E string. The 4th fret voicing omits the low strings for a tighter, higher-register color.
Other F♯ chords
Common questions
How is F♯ minor major 7th written?
F♯ minor major 7th is written F♯mmaj7, F♯minmaj7, or F♯mM7. The ASCII root is F#. It is also spelled G♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Why does the open voicing mute the high e string?
The open high e is not a chord tone, so it must be muted to avoid dissonance. Muting it keeps the voicing clean.
How does F♯ minor major 7th differ from F♯ minor 7th?
F♯ minor 7th has a minor seventh (E) while F♯ minor major 7th has a major seventh (E♯). 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.