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F#m7
Find chord shapes
The F#m7 has the notes F#-A-C#-E, and the A6 has the notes A-C#-E-F#. These are the same notes, and the A6 is the F#m7 (realtive minor) in first inversion and F#m7 is the A6 (relative major) in third inversion. Usually I am note able to tell the difference, and as the F#m and A often can substitute each other, it might a matter of preferences when it comes to notation. But I have included voicings sith omitted 5th for the m7 chords. If we invert these notes, we will end up with the 1-5-6 in the 6th chord, and it does not really get the character of a major chord. So these m7-voicings does not really work as relative major 6 chords. And if we try to do the same with the A6, we end up with a plain F#m chord.
I find it useful to break down chords with 4 or more notes into triads, to see how various chords relates. It makes it easier to understand chord construction and chord substitution.
| F#m |
F# |
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A |
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C# |
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| F#m7 |
F# |
- |
A |
- |
C# |
- |
E |
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| A |
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A |
- |
C# |
- |
E |
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| A6 |
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A |
- |
C# |
- |
E |
- |
F# |
You see that all the notes of an A chord are also found in the F#m7 chord. We can say that the F#m7 is the note F# + an A chord, or a F#m chord + the note E. The A6 is an A-chord + the note F#.
The typical application of the F#m7 chord in a major context, is as ii-chord chord in E-major, a iii-chord in D-major and as a vi-chord in A-major. Go to The harmonized E-major scale, The harmonized D-major scale and The harmonized A-major scale to see the F#m7 in these harmonic contexts.
Some general comments on chord-voicings and
fingerings.
Too many guitarists think of chords as ways to place the fingers,
and not as a way to get good sounding harmonies. If you are just strumming the
chords, open chord voicings where you play all or almost all strings may be a
good choice. To get access to more chords, you supplement with
barré-chords. For rhythm guitar, particulary electric rhythm guitar,
barré chords will often be a better choice left-hand damping is easier.
But still you need to know how to play one chord in more than one position, to
facilitate smooth chord changes. (You do not want to jump up and down between
3rd and 10th every time you chage a chord. Three-, four and five note voicings
may not work very well in this context. You have to be very precise with your
picking hand and/or be able to damp out the strings you do not want to play,and
it requires som control. Skip-string voicings requirese precise damping, and
are generally not a good choice.
If you are playing solos and chords, you should always know how to
play the chord you are soloing over, close to where you are playing the solo.
It makes it easier to get home if you are about to get lost in a solo. For more
sophisticated fingerpicking, chord soloing and bass-line + chord style playing,
it is crucial to know may chords. You should be able to play the right chord
over any bass-note played anywhere on the neck, or you should be able to play
the melody on top of any seqence of chords. The good chord-soloists play
bass-lline, chords and melody – and they even improvise in that style. For
this playing you need to know how to voice the chord with the right bass-note
at the bottom and the right melody-note on top, without compromizing a
sophisticated harmonic structure. Then the skip-string voicings maight become
very handy, in addition to the other chords.
If you find some of the fingerings too difficult (they are all
playable – I have tried all chords on these pages), go here
for some tips on how to work your way around the problems.
| Closed four-note positions - Root-position - 157b3 voicing (= A6 3. inv - 6351 voicing= |
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9 fr |
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4 fr |
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| Closed five-note positions |
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9 fr |
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11 fr |
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12 fr |
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| These two are in root position, and you can easliy see the relation with the barré positions. |
The next two are both in first inversion. |
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7 fr |
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7 fr |
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7 fr |
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7 fr |
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| Here I have not grouped them according to inversion. But you see that they are all derived from the same basic shape. |
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4 fr |
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7 fr |
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7 fr |
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| These are hard to play, particulary the second one, where you have to make a barré with your first finger, and then another small barré with your 2nd finger on 6th and 5th fret. |
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Skip-string voicings - 1. inversion (=A6 in root position) |
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7 fr |
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4 fr |
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11 fr |
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| Skip sting voicing - 2. inversion |
Skip sting voicing - 3. inversion |
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7 fr |
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2 fr |
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10 fr |
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5 fr |
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As said many times in this series: The root gives the chord identity, the third gives character and the fifth gives stability. When it is a 7th chord, the 7th gives character and identity as a 7th chord. We can leave out the fifth and still keep the identity and the character of the chord. The following voicings are such chords, with just the root, third and seventh. |
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