F#m7 cavaquinho chord
F#m7 (F sharp minor seventh) is built from F#, A, C# and E, the degrees 1–b3–5–b7. On cavaquinho, the main shape is 4 2 2 2, the first diagram, marked with the star.
End of the workday, headphones on, the bus moving slowly — and, strangely, everything's fine. That state of mind has a chord symbol: F#m7. Tap the player below and recognize it.
Hear F#m7 before you play
Why F#m7 sounds this way
The recipe: take the F#mF#mF#mF#m you know — F#, A, C# — and add E on top. Now listen to the arpeggio, one note at a time and wait for the fourth note. It doesn't make the chord happy; it takes the weight off its shoulders. That's why bossa nova, neo-soul and the whole of R&B live here.
How to play F#m7 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 start with the first position below — it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. Four notes sharing the same space, so there's one rule: every single one has to ring. Go note by note, like checking signatures. A muffled chord here is a double waste.
In the app: 10 F#m7 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
And keep the mid-neck positions in your pocket: in modern comping they're worth more than the open one, because they leave room for a voice on top. You'll get it the first time you play behind a singer.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
F#m7 notes and degrees
F#m7 stacks the root F#, the minor third A, the perfect fifth C# and the minor seventh E.
Where F#m7 shows up
Here's the backstage secret: F#m7's classic job is being the ii — the first piece of the ii–V–I, the most-used sentence in jazz and everything jazz ever touched. Across keys you'll find it as iv7 in C# minor, i7 in F# minor, v7 in B minor. In other words: this chord is almost never standing still; it's setting something up.
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#m7 usually goes
Treating F#m7 as the home chord (i) of a minor key, it tends to go toward the pre-dominant (Bm7) or the dominant (C#7, from harmonic minor), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
Going beyond F#m7
For improvising, F# Dorian (F# G# A B C# D# E · 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7: the minor scale with a major sixth — the minor that smirks); F# Aeolian (F# G# A B C# D E · 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7: the natural minor, the major scale's relative sibling); F# Dorian ♭2 (F# G A B C# D# E · 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7: a dorian with a lowered second) contain the whole chord. And the jazz shapes at the bottom are these same four notes rearranged across the neck: same chord, arranger's tailoring.
F# Dorian
In the app: the 7 positions of F# Dorian on cavaquinho
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same F# Dorian 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 · try it in Chord and Fret
Scales to improvise over F#m7
To improvise over F#m7 as home, the F# Aeolian scale fits entirely: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. And when the dominant (C#) pulls back, the leading tone F is the note that wants to resolve home.
Swaps that work:
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
The thing this chord is preparing has a name: B7. Chain the two and there it is — half a ii–V in your pocket, jazz's favorite sentence.
F#m7 chord questions
What notes are in the F#m7 chord?
The F#m7 chord is made of the notes F#, A, C# and E.
How do you play F#m7 on cavaquinho?
Form the shape from string 4 to string 1: 4 2 2 2. The shape starts at fret 2.
What chord comes after F#m7?
Treating F#m7 as the home chord (i) of a minor key, it tends to go toward the pre-dominant (Bm7) or the dominant (C#7, from harmonic minor), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
What scale works over F#m7?
To improvise over F#m7 as home, the F# Aeolian scale fits entirely: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.