stringery

F♯ major 7 chord

F♯ major 7 Major 7 family

Soft, dreamy, a bit wistful.

Easiest shape1 of 2

Square: the root. In colour: the major 7th, which gives the chord its sound.

Change a finger and see what it becomes

Built from

  • F♯root
  • A♯major 3rd
  • C♯5th
  • E♯major 7th

The major 7th sits one fret below the root an octave up, a gentle clash that sounds lush rather than tense.

Tension: Gentle

Hear it in a progression

Where it goes next

Thinking in F♯ major, where it is the Imaj7 chord.

  • Bmaj7

    IVmaj7. Lifts away from home without leaving it.

  • C♯7

    V7. Builds tension that wants to come back.

  • D♯m7

    vi7. Same key, sadder colour: the relative minor.

  • G♯m7

    ii7. A gentle step up that sets up the V chord.

Sounds close

  • D♯m7

    Relative minor 7: same notes but one. Both have F♯, A♯ and C♯.

  • A♯m7

    Shares 3 of its notes. Both have A♯, C♯ and E♯.

  • A♯m

    Shares 3 of its notes. Both have A♯, C♯ and E♯.

  • C♯

    Shares 2 of its notes. Both have C♯ and E♯.

Scales that fit

Notes you can play over this chord, simplest first.

Keys it lives in