Mastering this chord may take practice and patience, but when done right it can add depth and drama to any song you play on guitar.
To play F Sharp Minor 7, barre all six strings with your index finger before placing your thumb at the 2nd fret of the third string.
Basics
The F sharp minor 7 guitar chord, commonly referred to as an “m7”, is an indispensable part of every guitarist’s repertoire. Used in progressions for variation and interest, as well as adding color and tension in song composition, this chord can be played anywhere on the fretboard with as few as four notes or as many as desired.
Like other major and minor seventh chords, this chord features a root note at its core, followed by three minor thirds, five notes and a minor seventh chord as part of its construction. The root serves as the lowest note while minor thirds provide middle notes while fifth notes make up its top notes with space left between for the minor seventh to act as its filling note – usually played as flatted seconds for added tension!
As you learn this chord, it’s essential to keep in mind the theory underlying it. Every chord consists of intervals–the spaces between notes that give each one its unique sound–and minor seventh chords have an especially distinct tone due to being semitones apart from their root note. A F sharp minor seventh chord easily shows this on a fretboard as its first fret features flattened second fret notes while third fret features sharpened fifths while fourth fret features open fifths.
When learning this chord, it’s essential to practice in various positions on the fretboard. Some chords may be easier for some people than others and each position produces its own sound; for instance, playing this chord open position requires placing your index finger on the second fret of low E string and your middle finger on second fret of G string with all other fingers strummed except high E string until all strings can be strung cleanly without buzzing or muted strings.
Note that 7th chords can all be inverted. To do this, move the root note up an octave from its original position and flip its original root note for another note – this can alter its sound; but can be an invaluable tool in your arsenal – for instance if you need a more minor sound in a song featuring Cmaj7 chords in general but want them inverted with an F# to make them more manageable.
Variations
The F sharp minor 7 chord (also referred to as F#m7 or F m7) is an accessible yet jazzy guitar chord for beginners that presents a suitable challenge. Additionally, this chord provides the basis for understanding more complex and advanced chords such as Major 7 or Dominant 7 chords.
Just like with any seventh chord, there are numerous variations of how to play this one – each named according to which scale they’re constructed from (for instance if one uses F# Major scale it will be named F#m7(F – A – C).
Alterations may also come from changing both the name and length of a chord. Shortening its length is one method of creating variation; shorter chords tend to sound different and create greater tension – for instance if you play F#m7(F – A), its sound will have more of an urgent feel compared to its longer version F#m7(F – C).
Varying which notes are included can create variation. For instance, adding the flattened fifth (commonly known as a flat 5) creates an F m7(F-A-B). If you don’t wish for as dramatic an alteration to your chord structure, just leave out the flattened fifth to still achieve an Fm7(F – C).
Finally, some voicings exist that make learning the chord easier for beginners. This voicing is commonly known as “drop 2,” since one finger from the barre has been dropped while leaving other fingers intact to fret the remaining notes on the chord.
These chord voicings may initially prove challenging to play as you must use both fingers to fret all strings at the same time with their second and fourth fingers. With practice and familiarity with barre positions on the fretboard, however, these chords become easier.
Chords in Key of F
This chord is a minor seventh, which means it contains a flattened seventh above its root and fifth notes. This produces a more minor sound than regular major seventh chords and makes this chord suitable for keys such as F.
The F chord is an F barre chord, meaning it uses fingers 2, 3, and 4. While learning it may be challenging for beginners, once it becomes second nature it is an effective way to play many songs!
An alternative way of playing this chord is with a barre with fingers 1, 4, and 5. While this method may be easier for beginner guitarists to manage, it still can be challenging – the trick lies in using the outside of your index finger rather than its pad or tip to fret the two notes that make up this chord.
Once you feel confident with these two approaches to playing this chord, experiment with some variations. Use different notes from the F major scale (first, third, fifth and seventh notes respectively) to construct chords to produce different voicings of this chord; for instance building an F minor seventh chord by building it around its seventh note (F—E) will create a highly dramatic sounding soundscape.
Try changing the inversion of the chord to modify its sound; for instance, adding C or G chords under it to make it brighter and open up its sound more. This is an excellent way to experiment with various sounds until you find what resonates best!
To determine chord quality, take a look at the chord diagram and count the half-tones between its root note and each note in its chord – this will allow you to determine which tones belong in a given chord and which need to be added or subtracted from its composition. A chord chart will display different types of chords such as triads and 7th chords for reference.
Songs in Key of F
Numerous songs utilize the f sharp minor 7 chord to achieve a sophisticated and smooth sound in their music. While this particular chord can present beginners with some difficulty when first learning it due to needing a barre on two strings (F and G), with practice it becomes much simpler to play this chord on guitar.
F sharp minor chords are an effective way to create harmony within songs. Marvin Gaye’s classic hit “Let’s Get It On” utilizes a repetitive f sharp minor 7 progression, creating a groove for the rest of his music to follow; making for an infectious and soulful track!
Other popular chords that often accompany an F Sharp Minor include E minor, A major and D minor – these can even be found in the iconic Beatles tune “Wonderwall.” With its country feel, using an F Sharp Minor chord is ideal to capture this feel.
These chords can also be used to add tension and anticipation in songs, such as E minor chords building to an F major tonic chord in blues music – this type of progression often creates the distinct feeling of tension and release that is characteristic of this genre.
Bluegrass music also often employs this chord, though not as frequently due to the fact that its key of F does not work well with banjos; bluegrass instruments typically tune to G, making the use of an F sharp minor chord more challenging for new guitarists to master.
The F Sharp Minor can also be combined with other chords to produce different kinds of triads. For instance, it can be combined with E major for an E dominant triad; additionally it may be combined with minor seventh chords to create diminished triads.