F♯ minor major 7th chord on ukulele (F♯mMaj7)

Why it sounds like that

F♯ minor major 7th stacks a minor 3rd, perfect 5th, and major 7th above F♯. The major 7th E♯ adds a leading-tone tension not present in F♯ minor.

What goes wrong with F♯ minor major 7th?

• Letting the pinky flatten and mute the E string.
• Pressing the ring finger onto the C string instead of the A string.
• Fretting the G string too hard, causing it to go sharp.

When to use it

F♯ minor major 7th works in F♯ minor progressions, often moving to F♯ minor or F♯ 5th. Its dark, sophisticated sound suits jazz and neo-soul.

Changing to and from F♯ minor major 7th

• Sliding the shape up one fret gives G minor major 7th; move all fingers together and keep the pinky extended.
• From F♯ minor, add the pinky on the C string 5th fret and the index on the G string 2nd fret to get F♯ minor major 7th.

Which voicing to use

The default F♯minmaj7/E♯ inversion has E♯ in the bass, creating a strong pull toward the root. The F♯minmaj7/A inversion at frets 10-9-9-9 puts A in the bass for a more stable, less tense sound.