F Major 7 Guitar Chord (Fmaj7)

321

Fmaj7

NameF major 7
NotesFACE
IntervalsRroot3major 3rd55th7major 7th

Root

Chord type

  • Space Play
  • Left arrowRight arrow Root
  • Up arrowDown arrow Chord type

Shape

Tone

Dots show

Fmaj7 is the easy way into the sound of F: no barre, and the open A and high E strings ring. Lots of players use it in place of F.

How to play the Fmaj7 chord

  1. Don't play the low E string.
  2. Put your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the D string (F).
  3. Put your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the G string (A).
  4. Put your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the B string (C).
  5. Let the A and high E strings ring open (A, E).
  6. Strum from the A string down, skipping the string above it.

TipKeep your 1st finger on the B string arched so the high E rings open. Strum from the open A string down.

5 ways to play Fmaj7

Every shape below is a real Fmaj7, checked note by note: F, A, C, E and nothing else. Easiest first, with the dark dot on the root.

Fmaj7 chord diagram, open: x 0 3 2 1 0
Open EasyWith sound The one most players learn first. This is the shape you hear on the play button.
Fmaj7 chord diagram, 1st fret: 1 x 2 2 1 x
1st fret Medium Root on the low E string. It's the open Emaj7 shape moved up, so you can slide it to any major 7 chord.
Fmaj7 chord diagram, 3rd fret: x x 3 5 5 5
3rd fret Medium 4 strings, root on the D string. Higher and lighter, great for a second guitar part.
Fmaj7 chord diagram, barre, 8th fret: x 8 10 9 10 8
Barre, 8th fret Medium Root on the A string. The open Amaj7 shape moved up with a barre, a movable shape for any major 7 chord.
Fmaj7 chord diagram, 13th fret: 13 x 14 14 13 x
13th fret Medium Root on the low E string. It's the open Emaj7 shape moved up, so you can slide it to any major 7 chord.

F7 vs Fmaj7: hear the difference

Only one note changes: Fmaj7 has E (the major 7th), F7 has Eb (the flat 7th). Play them back to back:

Fmaj7

FACE

Soft and dreamy

F7

FACEb

Bluesy and restless

Chord progressions with Fmaj7

Chords make sense once you move between them. Press play to hear each progression with the real recordings, one chord per bar, then play along. Tap any chord to open its page.

Dreamy two chord vamp

Imaj7 - IVmaj7 in F
Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7
Soft and floating, great for slow songs.

The ii - V - I

iim7 - V7 - Imaj7 in F
Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Fmaj7
The most important progression in jazz.

Jazz turnaround

Imaj7 - vim7 - iim7 - V7 in F
Fmaj7 Dm7 Gm7 C7
Loops back to the start forever.

Practice changing to Fmaj7

Switching chords cleanly is what makes a new chord usable in a song. Start the timer, then go back and forth between Fmaj7 and the chord you picked, strumming each one, and keep a count in your head. Your hands stay on the guitar the whole time. When it beeps, type in your count and try to beat it next time.

Fmaj7 to Bbmaj7

60seconds

-last try

-your best

Practice Fmaj7 with

Songs that use Fmaj7

  • Stairway to Heaven by Led ZeppelinIntro D/F#-Fmaj7-G
  • Dreams by Fleetwood MacChorus Fmaj7-G6
  • Space Oddity by David BowieIntro and chorus Fmaj7-Em
  • Californication by Red Hot Chili PeppersPre-chorus Am-Fmaj7

Learn it with a teacher

Diagrams show you where your fingers go. A teacher shows you how to make it sound good. Start with these video lessons from the Infinite Guitar library:

Shell Voicings - Build Your Chord Vocabulary Free lesson · Tom Quayle Voice Leading: Intro Free with an account · Mike Salow Introduction To Guitar - Chords Free with an account · Chris Feener

Access these lessons with a free account. No payment needed. Sign up free

Chords that go with Fmaj7

Bbmaj7major 7Gm7minor 7C7dominant 7Dm7minor 7

Other F chords

FmajorFmminorF7dominant 7Fm7minor 7Fsus4suspended 4F7sus47 suspended 4F5power chordF6major 6Fm6minor 6F9dominant 9FaugaugmentedFdim7diminished 7

Other major 7 chords

Cmaj7C E G BC#maj7C# E# G# B#Dmaj7D F# A C#Ebmaj7Eb G Bb DEmaj7E G# B D#F#maj7F# A# C# E#Gmaj7G B D F#Abmaj7Ab C Eb GAmaj7A C# E G#Bbmaj7Bb D F ABmaj7B D# F# A#

See all 154 chords in the Guitar Chord Chart

Fmaj7 chord FAQ

What notes are in an Fmaj7 chord?

Fmaj7 has 4 notes: F (the root), A (the major 3rd), C (the 5th) and E (the major 7th). Every Fmaj7 shape on the guitar is those notes in a different order.

What is the difference between F7 and Fmaj7?

Only one note changes: Fmaj7 has E (the major 7th), F7 has Eb (the flat 7th). Use the player above to hear both.

Is Fmaj7 hard to play?

No, it's one of the easier ones: 3 fingers and no barre, and the open strings do some of the work. Practice switching to it from a chord you already know.

How do you play Fmaj7 as a barre chord?

Barre the 8th fret with your 1st finger, using the A shape (x-8-10-9-10-8). That shape is movable: slide it up or down and it plays a major 7 chord on every fret.