F♯ major 7th chord on ukulele (F♯maj7)

Why it sounds like that

F♯ major 7th stacks a major 3rd, perfect 5th, and major 7th over F♯. The major 7th interval (F♯ to E♯) gives the chord its bright, shimmering quality. Compare it to F♯ major, which stops at the perfect 5th.

What goes wrong with F♯ major 7th?

• Letting the pinky collapse and touch the E string.
• Not pressing the A string firmly enough with the ring finger, causing a buzz.
• Strumming too hard and drowning out the fretted notes.

When to use it

Use F♯ major 7th as the tonic in F♯ major, such as in the I–IV–V–I progression F♯–B–C♯–F♯. It also works in C♯ major as the IV chord. The chord suits jazz, fusion, and sophisticated pop.

Changing to and from F♯ major 7th

• Move to F♯ major by lifting the pinky off the C string, leaving the other fingers in place.
• Slide the whole shape down one fret to the 1st fret to get F major 7th.

Which voicing to use

The default grip (3-5-2-4) has E♯ in the bass, giving a first-inversion sound. For a root-position voicing, use the 6-6-6-8 barre shape, which puts F♯ in the bass and offers a fuller tone.