Fmaj7

Fmaj7 is F, A, C and E, a major seventh. The shape this page opens on is written 132211, lowest string first.

Also written FM7, FΔ7, FΔ, Fma7 or F major 7. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 9 common shapes for Fmaj7 on the guitar, and 35 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Fmaj7 belongs to C major (the IV), D minor (the ♭III), F major (the I) and A minor (the ♭VI).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 132211, xx3210, xx3555, x87555, x8796x, x-8-10-9-10-8, x-x-x-10-10-12, x-x-10-10-10-12, 13-15-14-14-13-13.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Fmaj7 has 102xxx, x879xx, 13-12-14-x-x-x, 1x22xx, x-8-x-9-10-x, 13-x-14-14-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Fmaj7 has xx2211, 1322xx, xx3555, x7756x, 8879xx, x-8-10-9-10-x, x-x-10-10-10-12, 12-12-10-10-x-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Fmaj7 has x3x251, 1x221x, 5x355x, x7x565, 8x796x, x-8-x-9-10-8, x-12-x-10-13-12, 12-x-10-10-10-x.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Fmaj7 has 070565, 000067, 000503, 00300x, x03000, x00500.

Tensions. A shell of Fmaj7, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (G), the #11 (B) and the 13 (D).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.