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 D string (4th).
- Ring finger on the 2nd fret of the G string (3rd).
- Little 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 | little | C3 | fifth |
| 4th (D) | fret 2 | middle | E3 | major seventh |
| 3rd (G) | fret 2 | ring | 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 Fmaj7
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.
- xx3555A shape at the 3rd fret · four fingers
- x-8-10-9-10-8A barre at the 8th fret and three more fingers
- x87555A barre at the 5th fret and two more fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
xx3210 is Fmaj7 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 Emaj7 shape. Every string is raised 1 semitone, so that open shape now sounds Fmaj7.
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 Fmaj7
A major 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 the note a semitone under its root added: soft, open, and at rest.
The same root, other chords: F major, Fm, F7, Fm7, Fsus2, Fsus4, Fdim, Faug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Fmaj7 chord?
F major seventh is four notes: F – A – C – E — the root, 3, 5 and 7 of the F major scale. On guitar the shape 132211 sounds F2, C3, E3, A3, C4 and F4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Fmaj7 on guitar?
The usual shape is 132211 — a barre chord at the 1st fret, with a barre at the 1st fret and three more fingers. If that is out of reach for now, xx3210 is the same chord without the full barre. Or put a capo on the 1st fret and play the Emaj7 shape, which then sounds Fmaj7.
What is the difference between Fmaj7 and F7?
Fmaj7 has the natural seventh (E), a semitone below the root; F7 flattens it another semitone. Fmaj7 is soft and at rest; F7 is restless and leads somewhere. A songbook that says F7 does not mean Fmaj7.