F#maj7 Piano Chord

F sharp major seventh is the F#maj7 piano chord. It has four notes: F sharp, A sharp, C sharp and F. The first three are black keys and the top note is white.

1F♯2A♯3C♯5FC4C5

F♯ at the bottom, then A♯ and C♯ and F. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1. The black keys are F♯ and A♯ and C♯.

How to play F#maj7 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the F♯ above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): F♯
  3. Index finger (2): A♯
  4. Middle finger (3): C♯
  5. Little finger (5): F
  6. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just F♯ on its own as a bass note.

F sharp major is three black keys and very comfortable. Adding the seventh brings the little finger forward onto the white key F, which is the only thing that makes this chord harder than the triad.

Inversions of F#maj7

The same 4 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are F#maj7; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionA♯ C♯ F F♯
F#maj7 piano chord diagram, first inversion, A♯ C♯ F F♯
Lighter than root position and less final. A third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionC♯ F F♯ A♯
F#maj7 piano chord diagram, second inversion, C♯ F F♯ A♯
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.
Third inversionF F♯ A♯ C♯
F#maj7 piano chord diagram, third inversion, F F♯ A♯ C♯
The most restless of the four. The seventh is the note that wants to move, and putting it underneath the whole chord makes that pull impossible to miss.

If it sounds wrong

The top note is E
That gives F sharp 7, which pulls toward B. The major seventh here is F natural, the key just below F sharp's octave.
The little finger is dragging the hand out
It is the only finger on a white key. Let the wrist tilt so it can reach forward without pulling the black key fingers off their notes.
The top note looks wrong
It is F, a white key. Written strictly it would be E sharp, which is the same key; chord charts print F.

What makes it an F#maj7

F♯ · A♯ · C♯ · F 1 3 5 7

F sharp major seventh is an F sharp major triad, F sharp A sharp C sharp, with an E sharp added on top. E sharp is the key called F, which is how it is printed here.

It is the I chord of F sharp major and the IV of C sharp. It also appears written as G flat major seventh, which is the same chord under the hand.

F#maj7 vs F#

F sharp major is three black keys, one of the easiest shapes on the piano. F sharp major seventh keeps those and adds a white key on top, which asks the hand to work at two depths at once.

The reward is the major seventh sound: soft, open and unfinished, where the plain triad is bright and final.

Questions about F#maj7

Which notes are in an F#maj7 chord on piano?

F sharp, A sharp, C sharp and F. The first three are black keys; F is white.

Why does the chord contain both F sharp and F?

The major seventh sits a half step below the octave. For F sharp that is F natural, written strictly as E sharp. Both notes being in the chord is what makes it a major seventh.

Is F#maj7 the same as Gbmaj7?

The same four keys and the same sound. Jazz charts often prefer G flat major seventh, which is easier to read.

What fingers do you use for F#maj7?

Right hand: thumb on F sharp, index on A sharp, middle on C sharp, little finger on F. Left hand: 5, 3, 2, 1.

Where is the F#maj7 chord used?

As the I chord in F sharp and the IV in C sharp, mostly in jazz.

Chords to learn next

Other F# chords