F Minor 7th
1st FretThe standard Fm7 — Em7-shape barre at the 1st fret. Barre fret 1 with the index across all six strings, then ring on A fret 3. The most widely used Fm7 voicing, with the root on the low E string.
F Minor 7th
8th FretAm7-shape barre at the 8th fret. Barre fret 8 with the index across the A, D, G, B, and high e strings; ring on D fret 10, middle on B fret 9. A full Fm7 voicing rooted on the A string.
F Minor 7th
3rd FretA compact 4-string D-shape voicing with the root on the D string at fret 3. Index on D fret 3 (root), pinky on G fret 5 (5th), ring on B fret 4 (minor 7th), middle on high e fret 4 (minor 3rd). Strum the top four strings only — no barre.
F Minor 7th
8th FretCompact three-note voicing on the top strings — minor 7th on G fret 8, minor 3rd on B fret 9, 5th on high e fret 8. Only three fingers, no barre. Great for fast comping and quiet rhythm work.
F Minor 7th
13th FretThe 1st-fret Em7-shape barre moved one octave up — barre across all six strings at fret 13 with the index, then ring on A fret 15. Bright and cutting for high-register chord work.
Tips for Playing the Fm7 Chord
Start with the Em7-shape barre
The 1-3-1-1-1-1 shape at fret 1 is the standard Fm7 — and it is actually easier than the full F minor barre because the D string drops to the barre fret. Master this shape first.
Roll the index finger
For the fret-1 barre, tilt your index slightly so the bony outer edge presses the strings rather than the soft pad. The 1st fret is the hardest position for barres because the string tension is highest.
Use the D-shape for a lighter sound
The x-x-3-5-4-4 voicing at fret 3 gives a brighter, more articulate Fm7 without any barre. Useful when you need clean voice-leading in jazz comping.
Fm7 in the ii–V–I
Fm7 → B♭7 → E♭maj7 is the classic ii–V–I in E♭ major and one of the most-used progressions in jazz. Practise this cycle through every key.
Move the barre shapes
The Em7-shape at fret 1 and Am7-shape at fret 8 are fully moveable — slide them up or down to play any minor 7th chord on the low E or A string roots.
Sub for Fm
Fm7 sounds great as a substitute for Fm in soul, R&B, neo-soul, and bossa nova. The added E♭ (minor 7th) softens the chord without changing its overall feel.
About the Fm7 Chord on Guitar
The Fm7 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 none of the chord tones match an open guitar string, every Fm7 voicing requires fretted notes — but the Em7-shape barre at fret 1 (1-3-1-1-1-1) is actually one of the easier barre chords because the D string drops to the barre fret, meaning only the ring finger sits behind the bar. Fm7 functions as the ii chord in E♭ major (a common key for jazz ballads and pop), the vi chord in A♭ major, and the i chord in F minor, appearing constantly in jazz, R&B, soul, neo-soul, and film music. This page covers five voicings, from the standard Em7-shape barre at fret 1 to a high-register barre an octave up. Every diagram is interactive and playable with real acoustic guitar sound.
- 015 Fm7 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 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.