major seventh chord
F major seven chord on guitar
The easy F. Three fingers on the four thin strings, no barre, and it works in most songs that ask for F.
Where the fingers go
- 1
ring finger, D string, fret 3
Count from the thick string: E A D.
- 2
middle finger, G string, fret 2
Count from the thick string: E A D G.
- 3
index finger, B string, fret 1
Count from the thick string: E A D G B.
- 4
Leave the thin e string open
They ring without any finger. They are part of the chord.
- 5
Strum 4 strings, from the D string down
Skip the thick E and A. They would add a note that does not belong.
The notes in Fmaj7
A chord is three or four notes played together. F major seven is built from these:
| Note | Job in the chord | Where it is in this shape |
|---|---|---|
| F | root | D string, fret 3 |
| A | major third | G string, fret 2 |
| C | fifth | B string, fret 1 |
| E | major seventh | thin e string, open |
The root, F, is the note it is named after. The second note decides the mood: a major third sounds bright, a minor third sounds sad. This chord sounds dreamy and warm.
Where it sits on the circle of fifths
The circle of fifths lines up the twelve keys so that neighbours share the most notes. Chords next to each other on the circle sound good one after the other, which is why songs move between them.
- Bb and C are Fmaj7’s neighbours. Most songs in Fmaj7 use one or both.
- Dm is its relative minor: the same notes, a different home. Swapping between them changes the mood without changing your hand much.
The mistake everyone makes
Watch out
Strumming the thick strings
Four strings only, from the D string down. The thick E and A are left out.
Tip
Use it instead of F for now
While the full barre F is building, this shape gets you through the song. Nobody will mind.
Songs that use it
Songs in C that ask for F. Ode to Joy and Greensleeves are fine without it, but the next batch of songs will use it.
None of the songs on the site use Fmaj7 yet. It is coming with the next batch.
Questions people ask
- Which strings do I strum for F major seven?
- 4 strings, from the D string down to the thin e. Skip the thick E and A strings.
- What notes are in a F major seven chord?
- F, A, C, E. The F is the root, the note the chord is named after. The A makes it major.
- What chords go with Fmaj7?
- Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, Bb and C, and its relative minor, Dm. Songs move between these because they share notes.