F major 7 (Fmaj7)
Four strings, no barre: Fmaj7 stands in for F until your barre chord is ready, and it has a soft color all its own.
It’s played in open position, near the nut, and as a barre chord higher up the neck. It’s the home chord of the key of F major; you’ll also find it in C major and B♭ major.
- Notes:
- F, A, C, E.
- Formula:
- 1, 3, 5, 7.
- Difficulty:
- Beginner.
- Strings played:
- 4 (from the D string).
Chord diagram
e|--0--| B|--1--| G|--2--| D|--3--| A|--x--| E|--x--|
Other positions
e|--x--| B|--1--| G|--2--| D|--2--| A|--x--| E|--1--|
e|--8---| B|--10--| G|--9---| D|--10--| A|--8---| E|--x---|
Common mistakes
Open high E string muted? Your index finger, on the 1st fret of the B string, is touching it. Curve it more.
Sounds messy? Don’t strum the low E or the A string: start on the D string.
Variations
F: the real F, as a barre chord, once you’re ready.
e|--1--| B|--1--| G|--2--| D|--3--| A|--3--| E|--1--|
Heard in
C, Fmaj7, C, Fmaj7: a gentle back-and-forth you’ll hear all the time in acoustic pop, softer than C, F.
Often played with
The chords in its key, the ones you hear most often around F major 7.
e|--1--| B|--3--| G|--2--| D|--3--| A|--1--| E|--x--|
e|--0--| B|--1--| G|--3--| D|--2--| A|--3--| E|--x--|
C7V
e|--1--| B|--1--| G|--2--| D|--0--| A|--x--| E|--x--|