F#maj7 ukulele chord
F#maj7 (F sharp major seventh) is built from F#, A#, C# and E#, the degrees 1–3–5–7. On ukulele, the main shape is 3 5 2 4, the first diagram, marked with the star.
You know the hotel-lobby pianist, playing so nobody leaves? This is their chord. F#maj7 is your regular F# with the window open — same house, more air. Give the audio below a listen and notice how it asks you to stay.
Hear F#maj7 before you play
Why F#maj7 sounds this way
Here's the curious part: F, the new note, lives a half step from F# — that close, it should grind. And it does. But A# and C# hold the room, so the grind turns into shimmer instead of a fight. Now listen to the arpeggio, one note at a time all the way to the last note and wait: you'll feel the spark without the fire. It's danger with a seatbelt on — which is why it sounds expensive.
How to play F#maj7 on ukulele
On the ukulele, the high reentrant G makes every shape light — and with four strings, every note is exposed. So go with the first position below; it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. Then do the before-and-after: F#, then F#maj7. The second is the first one after sunset. Repeat until it stops sounding "wrong" — for a lot of people this chord feels odd on the first listen and addictive by the third.
In the app: the F#maj7 shapes on ukulele
With the fingering and audio of each one, free. In the app, the arpeggio and the campanella of each shape are part of Pro.
Precision Tuner: Get in tune before you play: chromatic tuner and reference tones, free in standard tuning · open in Chord and Fret
Higher up the neck this chord becomes comping carpet — the kind of sound that flatters any voice on top. Positions are right below.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
F#maj7 notes and degrees
F#maj7 stacks the root F#, the major third A#, the perfect fifth C# and the major seventh E#.
Where F#maj7 shows up
Across keys, F#maj7 works as IVmaj7 in C# major, IIImaj7 in D# minor, Imaj7 in F# major — almost always the deluxe I or the elegant IV. It was bossa nova's signature and became the world's: today it shows up from jazz to indie without asking permission.
Transpose & Capo: Need it in another key? Transpose the progression for free; finding the best capo is part of Pro · see 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 · try it in Chord and Fret
Where F#maj7 usually goes
Treating F#maj7 as the home chord (I) of its key, it usually moves toward the pre-dominant (G#m / B) or the dominant (C# / E#°), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
Going beyond F#maj7
For improvising, F# Ionian (F# G# A# B C# D# E# · 1 2 3 4 5 6 7: the plain major scale, where everything starts); F# Lydian (F# G# A# B# C# D# E# · 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7: the major scale with a raised fourth — one extra step of daydream); F# Lydian ♯2 (F# G## A# B# C# D# E# · 1 #2 3 #4 5 6 7: a lydian with a raised second, harmonic-major color) wrap the whole chord. And the jazz shapes at the end are the same four notes spread across the neck, for the day you want to sound like an arranger.
F# Ionian
In the app: the 7 positions of F# Ionian on ukulele
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same F# Ionian 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 · open in Chord and Fret
Scales to improvise over F#maj7
To improvise over F#maj7 as home, the F# Ionian 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:
- D#m7D#m7D#m7D#m7 — Relative minor (vi) — same tonic function
- A#m7A#m7A#m7A#m7 — Mediant (iii) — tonic function
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
If at some point you want the ground back, it's one click away: F# without the seventh. The house hasn't moved.
F#maj7 chord questions
What notes are in the F#maj7 chord?
The F#maj7 chord is made of the notes F#, A#, C# and E#.
How do you play F#maj7 on ukulele?
Form the shape from string 4 to string 1: 3 5 2 4. The shape starts at fret 2.
What chord comes after F#maj7?
Treating F#maj7 as the home chord (I) of its key, it usually moves toward the pre-dominant (G#m / B) or the dominant (C# / E#°), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
What scale works over F#maj7?
To improvise over F#maj7 as home, the F# Ionian 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.