F♯ minor seventh (F♯m7) chord on mandolin

The F♯ minor seventh chord (F♯m7) is a minor seventh chord (a minor triad plus a minor seventh), made of four notes: F♯ – A – C♯ – E. The same chord with a different spelling: G♭ minor seventh (G♭m7).

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 7medium

Position 4medium

Position 11easy

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

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What the F♯m7 chord sounds like

A minor seventh chord is softer than a plain minor chord – the minor seventh fills out the sound. In jazz it is the ii of the ii–V–I, in pop and soul a common colour chord.

Notes of the F♯m7 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	F♯	root
3	A	minor third (3 semitones)
5	C♯	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	E	minor seventh (10 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): fret 2, ring finger (F♯5)
String 2 (A): open (A4)
String 3 (D): fret 2, middle finger (E4)
String 4 (G): fret 2, index finger (A3)

Position 7

String 1 (E): fret 9, little finger (C♯6)
String 2 (A): fret 9, little finger (F♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 7, index finger (A4)
String 4 (G): fret 9, ring finger (E4)

Position 4

String 1 (E): fret 5, middle finger (A5)
String 2 (A): fret 7, little finger (E5)
String 3 (D): fret 4, index finger (F♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 6, ring finger (C♯4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The F♯m7 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

F♯ minor: i7 (tonic)
B minor: v7 (dominant)
C♯ minor: iv7 (subdominant)
D major: iii7
A major: vi7
E major: ii7

Similar chords and substitutes

If F♯m7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Amaj7 – relative major seventh: three shared notes
B7 – in a ii–V, this is the dominant that follows

Same notes

A6 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

F♯m – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

F♯m9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the F♯m7 chord?

F♯, A, C♯, E. The root is F♯; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.

What is the easiest way to play F♯m7 on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some F♯m7 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (C♯) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the F♯m7 chord written?

The chord symbol is F♯m7 (also written F#m7), and its full name is F♯ minor seventh.