Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger flat across all 6 strings at the 1st fret — the barre.
- Middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string (3rd).
- Ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (5th).
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (low E) | fret 1 | index | F2 | root |
| 5th (A) | fret 3 | ring | C3 | fifth |
| 4th (D) | fret 1 | index | E♭3 | flat seventh |
| 3rd (G) | fret 2 | middle | A3 | third |
| 2nd (B) | fret 1 | index | C4 | fifth |
| 1st (high E) | fret 1 | index | F4 | root |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play F7
The same 4 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- xx3545A shape at the 3rd fret · four fingers
- x-8-10-8-10-8A barre at the 8th fret and two more fingers
- x8786xA shape at the 6th fret · four fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
xx324x is F7 without the full barre — fewer strings, the same chord. It is a real voicing, not a cheat, and plenty of players keep using it.
Or use a capo: clamp it at the 1st fret and play the E7 shape. Every string is raised 1 semitone, so that open shape now sounds F7.
Holding it cleanly
The barre is the hard part. Lay the index finger just behind the 1st fret, roll it slightly onto its bony outer edge, and keep the thumb behind the neck opposite it. Pluck the barred strings one at a time: a buzz or a dead string means the finger is not flat there yet.
The notes in F7
A dominant seventh chord is built from the root (1), 3, 5 and ♭7 of its root’s major scale. From F that gives F – A – C – E♭. A major chord with a flattened seventh on top. It wants to move — usually to the chord a fourth above it.
The same root, other chords: F major, Fm, Fmaj7, Fm7, Fsus2, Fsus4, Fdim, Faug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a F7 chord?
F dominant seventh is four notes: F – A – C – E♭ — the root, 3, 5 and ♭7 of the F major scale. On guitar the shape 131211 sounds F2, C3, E♭3, A3, C4 and F4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play F7 on guitar?
The usual shape is 131211 — a barre chord at the 1st fret, with a barre at the 1st fret and two more fingers. If that is out of reach for now, xx324x is the same chord without the full barre. Or put a capo on the 1st fret and play the E7 shape, which then sounds F7.
What is the difference between F7 and Fmaj7?
F7 has a flattened seventh (E♭), a whole step below the root; Fmaj7 has the natural seventh, a semitone below the root. F7 is restless and wants to move on; Fmaj7 is soft and at rest. They are not interchangeable.