Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 1st fret of the E string (2nd).
- Middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string (4th).
- Ring finger on the 3rd fret of the C string (3rd).
- Little finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (1st).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | fret 2 | middle | A4 | third |
| 3rd (C) | fret 3 | ring | E♭4 | flat seventh |
| 2nd (E) | fret 1 | index | F4 | root |
| 1st (A) | fret 3 | little | C5 | fifth |
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.
2 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.
- 5556A barre at the 5th fret and one more finger
- 8988A barre at the 8th fret and one more finger
If the usual shape is too hard for now
2310 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.
Holding it cleanly
Press just behind each fret, not on top of it and not in the middle of the gap: that is where the least pressure gives a clean note.
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 ukulele the shape 2313 sounds A4, E♭4, F4 and C5, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play F7 on ukulele?
The usual shape is 2313 — a shape at the 1st fret, with four fingers. If that is out of reach for now, 2310 is the same chord without the full barre.
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.