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F♯ diminished major 7th chord on ukulele (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 contains F♯, A, C and E♯. The only supplied shape is the F♯dimM7/E♯ inversion at 10-9-8-9, with E♯ in the bass.
F♯dimM7/A inversionfrom fret 8
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7
- Root positionF♯–A–C–E♯F♯dimMaj7no shape on this instrument
- First inversionA–C–E♯–F♯F♯dimMaj7/A10-9-8-9
- Second inversionC–E♯–F♯–AF♯dimMaj7/Cno shape on this instrument
- Third inversionE♯–F♯–A–CF♯dimMaj7/E♯10-9-8-9
How do you play an F♯ diminished major 7th chord on ukulele?
F♯ diminished major 7th is played at the 8th fret as 10 9 8 9: pinky finger on the G string at fret 10, middle finger on the C string at fret 9, index finger on the E string at fret 8 and ring finger on the A string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 10 | 4 | E♯ (7) |
| 3 (C) | 9 | 2 | A (♭3) |
| 2 (E) | 8 | 1 | C (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 9 | 3 | F♯ (1) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach fret 10 on the G string while the ring finger holds fret 9 on the A string, a one-fret stretch.
Why it sounds like that
F♯ diminished major 7th is built 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7. The diminished 5th between F♯ and C is a tritone, and the major 7th E♯ is a leading tone to F♯. Compare it with F♯ minor 7th flat 5th, which has E instead of E♯.
What goes wrong with F♯ diminished major 7th?
- Letting the pinky flatten and deaden the A string.
- Pressing the index finger too far from the fret, causing the E string to buzz.
When to use it
F♯ diminished major 7th works as a passing chord in F♯ minor, resolving to F♯ minor or F♯ major. Its leading tone suits jazz and whole-half scale runs.
Changing to and from F♯ diminished major 7th
- Slide the shape down one fret to the 9th fret to reach F diminished major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The F♯dimM7/E♯ inversion puts E♯ in the bass, creating a tense sound with the leading tone on the bottom. No root-position shape is supplied.
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 has a minor 7th, E.
Why does F♯ diminished major 7th use E♯ instead of F?
F♯ diminished major 7th uses E♯ because the major 7th from F♯ is eleven semitones, and E♯ is the correct spelling in an F♯ context.