F♯maj7 chord on guitar
The F♯maj7 chord, or F sharp major 7th, stacks 4 notes on F♯: F♯, A♯, C♯ and E♯. Musicians write its formula 1 3 5 7.
Notes and intervals of F♯maj7
Each note of F♯maj7 has a job. Counted from the root, you get root (F♯), major 3rd (A♯), perfect 5th (C♯) and major 7th (E♯). Change one of these intervals and you get a different chord, which is why the formula 1 3 5 7 is worth memorising rather than the shape alone.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | F♯ |
| 3 | major 3rd | A♯ |
| 5 | perfect 5th | C♯ |
| 7 | major 7th | E♯ |
How to play F♯maj7 on guitar
Start with the first diagram: 2 4 3 3 2 2, read from the 6th string (low E) to the 1st string (high E). Your lowest note is F♯. The next positions give the same notes in a different order, which is useful when you want F♯maj7 to sit closer to the surrounding chords.
This is a barre or movable shape: keep your index finger straight and close to the fret, and press with the side of the finger rather than the flat pad.
Which keys use F♯maj7?
F♯maj7 appears naturally in 2 major keys: F sharp major (Imaj7) and D flat major (IVmaj7). In F sharp major it is the Imaj7 chord, so you will meet it in many songs written in that key and in its relative minor.
Scales to play over F♯maj7
These scales share every note of F♯maj7: F sharp major scale and F sharp Lydian mode. F sharp major scale is the safest choice; the others add more colour.
About major 7th chords
A major triad plus a major seventh: 1 3 5 7. The seventh sits a semitone below the octave, which gives a soft, floating, slightly bittersweet colour. The major seventh chord is relaxed rather than tense: it does not need to resolve and can sit for a whole verse. For example Cmaj7: C E G B.
It lives on I and IV of a major key (Imaj7, IVmaj7), so it is the home chord of jazz, bossa nova, soul, neo-soul and soft pop. Classic moves: ii7 V7 Imaj7 in jazz, Imaj7 IVmaj7 for dreamy loops, and in minor keys ♭IIImaj7 and ♭VImaj7, the I and IV of the relative major.
Open shapes like Cmaj7 (x32000), Fmaj7 (xx3210) and Amaj7 (x02120) are easy starters. The movable shapes: root on the 5th string with the 7 on the 3rd string, or root on the 6th string with the 5th string muted (root, 7, 3, 5 on strings 6, 4, 3, 2). Strum lightly: the 7 sounds best when it rings clearly.
Confusing maj7 with 7 is the classic error: the dominant 7 has a minor seventh and pulls to resolve, maj7 does not. Watch the symbols: maj7, M7, Δ7 and Δ all mean the same chord, but 7 alone does not. And a major 7 on the V chord clashes with the melody: in a major key, V takes a plain 7.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the F♯maj7 chord?
F♯maj7 (F sharp major 7th) contains F♯, A♯, C♯ and E♯. In intervals: root (F♯), major 3rd (A♯), perfect 5th (C♯) and major 7th (E♯).
How do you play F♯maj7 on guitar?
The easiest shape is 2 4 3 3 2 2, from the low E string to the high E string. This page shows 3 positions with finger numbers.
What scale goes with F♯maj7?
F sharp major scale fits F♯maj7 best. Other scales that contain all its notes: F sharp Lydian mode.
What key is F♯maj7 in?
F♯maj7 belongs to F sharp major (Imaj7) and D flat major (IVmaj7). In F sharp major it is the Imaj7 chord.
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