Fmaj7
Open PositionThe classic easy Fmaj7 — a 4-string Drop 2 voicing with the chord tones (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th) stacked in order. Ring on D fret 3, middle on G fret 2, index on B fret 1, high e open. Strum the top four strings only — the low E and A are not played.
Fmaj7
1st FretA compact 4-string maj7 voicing with the root on the low E string at fret 1. Index on low E fret 1 (root), middle on B fret 1 (5th), ring on D fret 2 (maj7), pinky on G fret 2 (3rd). Mute the A and high e strings. No barre required.
Fmaj7
8th FretA-shape barre chord rooted on F at the 8th fret. Mute the low E; barre fret 8 with your index, ring on D fret 10, middle on G fret 9, pinky on B fret 10. A classic moveable maj7 voicing.
Fmaj7
3rd FretD-shape moveable voicing with the root on the D string at fret 3. Index on D fret 3, then ring/middle/pinky (or a small barre) across G, B, and high e at fret 5. A compact mid-position voicing — strum the top four strings only.
Fmaj7
13th FretA compact 4-string maj7 voicing with the root on the low E string at fret 13 — the 1st-fret Fmaj7 voicing one octave up. Index on low E fret 13 (root), middle on B fret 13 (5th), ring on D fret 14 (maj7), pinky on G fret 14 (3rd). Mute the A and high e strings.
Tips for Playing the Fmaj7 Chord
Use Fmaj7 to avoid the F barre
The xx3210 voicing is the most popular reason guitarists love Fmaj7 — it sounds great and avoids the difficult full F barre that trips up many beginners.
Stack your fingers
In xx3210, the chord tones rise in order — root (F) on D fret 3, 3rd (A) on G fret 2, 5th (C) on B fret 1, 7th (E) on the open high e. A clean diagonal stack.
Skip the low strings
In xx3210, the low E and A do not contain chord tones and should not be played. Aim your strum to start cleanly from the D string.
Listen for the maj7
The E (open high e) is what makes this chord a maj7. Move it to the 1st fret (F) and you are back to a regular F chord — try toggling between them to hear the difference.
Move the barre shapes
The E-shape at fret 1 and A-shape at fret 8 are fully moveable — slide them up or down to play any major 7th chord.
Classic resolution
Cmaj7 → Fmaj7 is one of the most beautiful chord moves in music. Try fingerpicking the top four strings of each chord for a soft, dreamy feel.
About the Fmaj7 Chord on Guitar
The Fmaj7 chord is built from four notes: F, A, C, and E. It is the F major triad with an added major 7th, giving the chord a warm, dreamy, slightly bittersweet quality. Fmaj7 is special on guitar because it offers an easy alternative to the full F barre chord — the simple 4-string xx3210 voicing avoids the barre entirely while still sounding rich and full. This page covers five voicings, from the easy open-position shape all the way to advanced high-register barre chords. Every diagram is interactive and playable with real acoustic guitar sound.
- 015 Fmaj7 chord shapes from beginner to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Real acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 044-string Drop 2, E-shape barre, A-shape barre, D-shape, and high-position voicings
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 4 notes that form the F Major 7th chord and their role in the major scale.
Every major chord follows this same formula — root, major third, perfect fifth.