F#7 cavaquinho chord
F#7 (F sharp seventh) is built from F#, A#, C# and E, the degrees 1–3–5–b7. On cavaquinho, the main shape is 4 3 2 2, the first diagram, marked with the star.
You know when you climb stairs in the dark and count one step too many? Your foot hangs there, waiting for a floor that never came. Hit play below: F#7 is that foot in the air.
Hear F#7 before you play
Why F#7 sounds this way
Why does it sound unfinished? Inside F#7, two notes are arguing: A# and E. Now listen to the arpeggio, one note at a time and catch the second and the last note — the distance between them is the tritone, one of the tensest intervals in tonal music. F# and C# keep the house standing while those two argue inside it. And an argument, you know, demands a resolution.
How to play F#7 on cavaquinho
On the cavaquinho, four steel strings tuned D–G–B–D pack the chord into a small, bright space — every finger counts. So grab the first position below; it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. Now the experiment that explains this chord better than any explanation: play F#7, count to three, then play B. Felt the door close? Do it again. That relief is the dominant's job.
In the app: 13 F#7 shapes on cavaquinho
With the fingering and audio of each one, free. In the app, the arpeggio of each shape is part of Pro.
Precision Tuner: Get in tune before you play: chromatic tuner and reference tones, free in standard tuning · see it in Chord and Fret
Save the positions below for when the blues calls: over there, this chord is the house language.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
F#7 notes and degrees
F#7 stacks the root F#, the major third A#, the perfect fifth C# and the minor seventh E.
Where F#7 shows up
Its most common job is the dominant, and dominants live as VII7 in G# minor, V7 in B major. Plainly: where it enters, the song is usually about to leave the room. In the blues, though, F#7 can also be the home chord. A chart full of 7th chords is a song that won't sit still.
Transpose & Capo: Need it in another key? Transpose the progression for free; finding the best capo is part of Pro · try it in Chord and Fret
Identify Chord: Found a shape on your fretboard? Mark it on the screen and the app names the chord, 5 times a day for free · open in Chord and Fret
Where F#7 usually goes
When F#7 works as the dominant of B, it tends to resolve to B or BmBmBmBm. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, F#7 can be the home chord itself. Typically, not a rule.
Going beyond F#7
For soloing, F# Mixolydian (F# G# A# B C# D# E · 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7: the major scale with a lowered seventh — the blues accent); F# Lydian dominant (F# G# A# B# C# D# E · 1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7: a mixolydian with a raised fourth: the dominant in formalwear) cover the whole chord. And look at the first swap on the list below: that's the famous tritone substitution, the twin dominant living three whole steps from here, the one arrangers reach for when they want to arrive at the same place by a prettier road.
F# Mixolydian
In the app: the 7 positions of F# Mixolydian on cavaquinho
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same F# Mixolydian in its main shapes along the neck — pick whichever position sits under your hand. The rings mark the guide notes (the 3rd and 7th) that carry this chord's color.
Scale: The scale's positions across the neck, with degree, note and finger labels, free; playing the scale and the tempo-ramp exercise are part of Pro · use it in Chord and Fret
Scales to improvise over F#7
The F# Mixolydian scale is a common choice over F#7: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. When F#7 moves to B, its third, A#, is the leading tone of B: the note that wants to rise a half step.
Swaps that work:
- C7C7C7C7 — Tritone substitution (shared 3rd–7th tritone)
- C#m7C#m7C#m7C#m7 — Forms a II–V: precede with this ii
- Gdim7 — Passing diminished (ascending)
Reharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · use it in Chord and Fret
You already know how this sentence usually ends. As a dominant, the period after F#7 is B — go there and close it with your own fingers.
F#7 chord questions
What notes are in the F#7 chord?
The F#7 chord is made of the notes F#, A#, C# and E.
How do you play F#7 on cavaquinho?
Form the shape from string 4 to string 1: 4 3 2 2. The shape starts at fret 2.
What chord comes after F#7?
When F#7 works as the dominant of B, it tends to resolve to B or Bm. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, F#7 can be the home chord itself.
What scale works over F#7?
The F# Mixolydian scale is a common choice over F#7: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.