Fmaj7 chord on piano
Fmaj7 is F, A, C and E. You'll find F just left of the group of three black keys (a white key). Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.
root position · F–A–C–E · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- F · A · C · E
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 7
How to play Fmaj7 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from F: 4 half steps up to A, 3 half steps up to C then 4 half steps up to E. Those 4 keys are Fmaj7.
- Right hand: 1 on F, 2 on A, 3 on C and 5 on E.
- Left hand: 5 on F, 3 on A, 2 on C and 1 on E.
- On the keyboard it's white, white, white and white keys, the same pattern as Cmaj7, so your hand shape carries over.
Fmaj7 inversions
- root position: F–A–C–E. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: A–C–E–F, with A at the bottom. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: C–E–F–A, C lowest. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: E–F–A–C, with E at the bottom. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
Use the inversions to stay put: the next chord is often one inversion away from where your hand already is, as the changes below show.
Moving between Fmaj7 and its neighbours
The chords Fmaj7 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.
- B♭maj7 (IV in F major): Fmaj7 to B♭maj7: play B♭maj7 in 2nd inversion (F–A–B♭–D) and F and A stay under the same fingers, while C moves down to B♭ and E down to D. B♭maj7 on piano
- C7 (V in F major): Fmaj7 to C7: play C7 in 2nd inversion (G–B♭–C–E) and C and E stay under the same fingers, while F moves up to G and A up to B♭. C7 on piano
- Dm7 (vi in F major): Fmaj7 to Dm7: play Dm7 in 1st inversion (F–A–C–D) and F, A and C stay under the same fingers, while E moves down to D. Dm7 on piano
Fmaj7 is a major seventh chord: a major triad with the note a half step below the octave added. Fmaj7 works as a relaxed home chord; swap it in for plain F at the end of a phrase. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
Getting Fmaj7 under your fingers
Play Fmaj7 broken, one key at a time: F, A, C, E, C, A, F. Then press the keys together and check that all 4 sound at the same volume. Then climb the inversions: F–A–C–E, then A–C–E–F, then C–E–F–A, then E–F–A–C.
The keys of Fmaj7
Fmaj7 is a major seventh chord, 1–3–5–7 from F. Root position, from the bottom: how Fmaj7 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| A | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| C | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| E | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | major seventh |
Where Fmaj7 shows up
In F major, ii–V–I on piano is Gm7 (G–B♭–D–F), C7 (C–E–G–B♭) and Fmaj7 (F–A–C–E). About the jazz cadence.
Fmaj7 on guitar and ukulele
Fmaj7 on guitar and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Close to Fmaj7
Other major seventh chords
Fmaj7 on piano: questions
What notes are in Fmaj7 on piano?
F, A, C and E: F (white key), A (white key), C (white key) and E (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play Fmaj7 on piano?
Press F, A, C and E together, all white keys. Right hand: 1 on F, 2 on A, 3 on C and 5 on E.
What are the inversions of Fmaj7?
1st inversion (A–C–E–F), 2nd inversion (C–E–F–A) and 3rd inversion (E–F–A–C), after root position (F–A–C–E). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does Fmaj7 look like on the keyboard?
white, white, white and white keys, the same pattern as Cmaj7, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes F, A, C and E and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.