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 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 | middle | C3 | fifth |
| 4th (D) | fret 1 | index | E♭3 | flat seventh |
| 3rd (G) | fret 1 | index | A♭3 | minor 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 Fm7
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.
- xx3544A shape at the 3rd fret · four fingers
- x-8-10-8-9-8A barre at the 8th fret and two more fingers
- x86868A barre at the 6th fret and three more fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
xx314x is Fm7 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 Em7 shape. Every string is raised 1 semitone, so that open shape now sounds Fm7.
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 Fm7
A minor 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 minor chord with a flattened seventh: mellow rather than sad, and the usual ii chord of a major key.
The same root, other chords: F major, Fm, F7, Fmaj7, Fsus2, Fsus4, Fdim, Faug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Fm7 chord?
F minor seventh is four notes: F – A♭ – C – E♭ — the root, ♭3, 5 and ♭7 of the F major scale. On guitar the shape 131111 sounds F2, C3, E♭3, A♭3, C4 and F4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Fm7 on guitar?
The usual shape is 131111 — a barre chord at the 1st fret, with a barre at the 1st fret and one more finger. If that is out of reach for now, xx314x is the same chord without the full barre. Or put a capo on the 1st fret and play the Em7 shape, which then sounds Fm7.
What is the difference between Fm7 and Fm?
Fm7 is Fm with one more note, a flattened seventh (E♭). It can nearly always stand in for Fm and sounds a little warmer and less final.