F#/G♭ Minor 7th
2nd FretThe standard F#m7 — Em7-shape barre at the 2nd fret. Barre fret 2 with the index across all six strings, then ring on A fret 4. The most widely used F#m7 voicing, with the root on the low E string.
F#/G♭ Minor 7th
9th FretAm7-shape barre at the 9th fret. Barre fret 9 with the index across the A, D, G, B, and high e strings; ring on D fret 11, middle on B fret 10. A full F#m7 voicing rooted on the A string.
F#/G♭ Minor 7th
4th FretA compact 4-string D-shape voicing with the root on the D string at fret 4. Index on D fret 4 (root), pinky on G fret 6 (5th), ring on B fret 5 (minor 7th), middle on high e fret 5 (minor 3rd). Strum the top four strings only — no barre.
F#/G♭ Minor 7th
9th FretCompact three-note voicing on the top strings — minor 7th on G fret 9, minor 3rd on B fret 10, 5th on high e fret 9. Only three fingers, no barre. Great for fast comping and quiet rhythm work.
F#/G♭ Minor 7th
14th FretThe 2nd-fret Em7-shape barre moved one octave up — barre across all six strings at fret 14 with the index, then ring on A fret 16. Bright and cutting for high-register chord work.
Tips for Playing the F#m7 Chord
Start with the Em7-shape barre
The 2-4-2-2-2-2 shape at fret 2 is the standard F#m7. It is fully moveable — slide it up or down to play any minor 7th chord on the low E string root.
Roll the barre finger
For the 2nd-fret barre, tilt your index slightly so the bony outer edge presses the strings. The string tension is still high this low on the neck, so a clean barre takes practice.
Try the 4-string D-shape
The x-x-4-6-5-5 voicing on the top four strings is a great alternative — no barre, just four fingers. Useful when you need a clean, articulate F#m7 in jazz comping.
F#m7 in the ii–V–I
F#m7 → B7 → Emaj7 is the classic ii–V–I in E major — one of the most guitar-friendly keys. Practise this cycle to internalise jazz harmony in a position you already know well.
Slide between m7 shapes
F#m7 (fret 2 Em7-shape) and Fm7 (fret 1 Em7-shape) use the same shape — practise sliding the barre one fret at a time to build m7 fluency around the neck.
Common in pop and ballads
F#m7 appears constantly in E major pop ballads and acoustic songs. Watch for it in modern singer-songwriter tunes — it often replaces a plain F#m for a softer, more colourful sound.
About the F#m7 Chord on Guitar
The F#m7 chord is built from four notes: F# (the root), A (the minor 3rd), C# (the perfect 5th), and E (the minor 7th). It is the F# minor triad with an added flat 7th, giving the chord a smooth, mellow, slightly melancholy character. Because the F# and C# require fretted notes, every F#m7 voicing depends on at least one barre or moveable fingering — but the standard Em7-shape barre at fret 2 (2-4-2-2-2-2) is one of the easiest barre chords on guitar, since the string tension is lower than at fret 1. F#m7 is enharmonically identical to G♭m7, though F#m7 is by far the more common spelling in written music. It functions as the ii chord in E major (one of the guitar-friendliest keys), the iii chord in D major, and the vi chord in A major, appearing constantly in jazz, R&B, pop, and acoustic singer-songwriter music. This page covers five voicings, from the standard Em7-shape barre at fret 2 to a high-register barre an octave up. Every diagram is interactive and playable with real acoustic guitar sound.
- 015 F#m7/G♭m7 chord shapes from beginner to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Real acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Em7-shape barre, Am7-shape barre, 4-string D-shape, top-string voicing, and high-register barre
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 4 notes that form the F#/G♭ Minor 7th chord and their role in the major scale.
Every minor 7th chord follows this same formula — root, minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.