Ways to play Fmaj7
Open position first, then up the neck. Tap a shape to put it on the fretboard above and hear it. The numbers are fingers (1 is your index), × means leave that string out, and ○ means let it ring open.
What's in Fmaj7
A major 7th chord adds the natural 7th, a half step below the root, to a major triad. Fmaj7 is F, A, C, E. Don't mix it up with F7: the two differ by one note, and that note changes the whole character.
| Note | Formula | Interval from F |
|---|---|---|
| F | 1 | Root |
| A | 3 | Major 3rd |
| C | 5 | Perfect 5th |
| E | 7 | Major 7th |
Soft, open and a little wistful. It works as a I or IV chord and turns up constantly in jazz, bossa nova, soul and soft rock.
Keys that use Fmaj7
Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of F, A, C and E, and the chord's Roman numeral in each.
| Key | Fmaj7 is the |
|---|---|
| F major | Imaj7 |
| C major | IVmaj7 |
| A minor | VImaj7 |
| D minor | IIImaj7 |
Progressions to try
ii7–V7–Imaj7 in F major
The jazz cadence. The maj7 at the end lands softer than a plain major chord would.
Related chords
Other chords on F: