F♯m7 chord on piano
The F♯m7 chord, or F sharp minor 7th, stacks 4 notes on F♯: F♯, A, C♯ and E. Musicians write its formula 1 ♭3 5 ♭7.
Notes and intervals of F♯m7
Each note of F♯m7 has a job. Counted from the root, you get root (F♯), minor 3rd (A), perfect 5th (C♯) and minor 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 | minor 3rd | A |
| 5 | perfect 5th | C♯ |
| ♭7 | minor 7th | E |
How to play F♯m7 on piano
Put your right-hand thumb on F♯, then add the other notes: F♯, A, C♯ and E. Teachers usually suggest the fingering 1-2-3-5 (left hand: 5-3-2-1). Press the keys together, release, and repeat until the chord sounds even.
Inversions of F♯m7
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts another one in the bass. F♯m7 has 3 inversions besides root position: 1st inversion (A C♯ E F♯), 2nd inversion (C♯ E F♯ A) and 3rd inversion (E F♯ A C♯). Inversions let you move between chords with tiny hand movements, which is how pianists make progressions sound smooth.
Which keys use F♯m7?
F♯m7 appears naturally in 3 major keys: A major (vi7), E major (ii7) and D major (iii7). In A major it is the vi7 chord, so you will meet it in many songs written in that key and in its relative minor.
Scales to play over F♯m7
These scales share every note of F♯m7: F sharp natural minor scale, F sharp minor pentatonic scale, F sharp blues scale, F sharp Dorian mode and F sharp Phrygian mode. F sharp natural minor scale is the safest choice; the others add more colour.
About minor 7th chords
A minor triad plus a minor seventh: 1 ♭3 5 ♭7. Softer and more open than a plain minor chord, the minor seventh is mellow, slightly melancholic and has no urge to resolve. It contains a major triad on its ♭3, which is why it sounds warm rather than dark. For example Am7: A C E G, with C E G inside.
It sits naturally on ii, iii and vi of a major key, and on i, iv and v of the natural minor. Its star role is the ii7 of the ii-V-I: ii7 V7 Imaj7 (for example Dm7 G7 Cmaj7). Funk and soul vamp on one m7 for minutes, and pop uses vi7 and ii7 to soften plain triads.
Root position 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 works fine, but jazz pianists often play the root and ♭7 in the left hand and the ♭3 and 5 (or ♭3, 5, 9) in the right. In ii7 V7 I, voice-lead: the ♭3 of ii7 stays as the ♭7 of V7, and the ♭7 of ii7 slides down a semitone to the 3 of V7.
m7 is not m(maj7): Am7 has G, Am(maj7) has G♯. Do not confuse it with m7♭5 either: lower the fifth and you get a half-diminished chord with a much tenser role. Finally, a m7 chord has the same four notes as the 6 chord on its ♭3 (Am7 and C6): the bass note decides which one you hear.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the F♯m7 chord?
F♯m7 (F sharp minor 7th) contains F♯, A, C♯ and E. In intervals: root (F♯), minor 3rd (A), perfect 5th (C♯) and minor 7th (E).
How do you play F♯m7 on piano?
Play F♯, A, C♯ and E together with the right-hand fingering 1-2-3-5. You can also play it in 3 inversions, shown on this page.
What scale goes with F♯m7?
F sharp natural minor scale fits F♯m7 best. Other scales that contain all its notes: F sharp minor pentatonic scale, F sharp blues scale, F sharp Dorian mode and F sharp Phrygian mode.
What key is F♯m7 in?
F♯m7 belongs to A major (vi7), E major (ii7) and D major (iii7). In A major it is the vi7 chord.
Related
- See F♯m7 on guitar
- A
- C♯m
- Bm
- C♯7
- F♯
- F♯m
- F♯7
- F♯maj7
- F♯sus4
- F sharp natural minor scale
- F sharp minor pentatonic scale
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