F#m7

F#m7 is F#, A, C# and E, a minor seventh. The shape this page opens on is written 242222, lowest string first.

Also written F#min7, F#-7 or F# minor 7. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for F#m7 on the guitar, and 35 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of F#m7 belongs to C# minor (the iv), D major (the iii), E major (the ii), F# minor (the i), A major (the vi) and B minor (the v).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 242222, xx4655, x9797x, x-9-7-9-10-x, x-9-11-9-10-9, x-x-11-11-10-12.

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. F#m7 has 202xxx, x979xx, 14-12-14-x-x-x, 2x22xx, x-9-x-9-10-x, 14-x-14-14-x-x, x-9-14-14-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. F#m7 has xx2222, 2422xx, xx4655, x7767x, 9979xx, xx7979, x-9-11-9-10-x, x-x-11-11-10-12.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. F#m7 has x4x252, 2x222x, 5x465x, x7x675, 9x797x, x-9-x-9-10-9, 12-x-11-11-10-x, x-12-x-11-14-12.

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. F#m7 has 24220x, 57460x, 202200, 00660x, x06600, 004600.

Tensions. A shell of F#m7, 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.