How to Play F Minor 7 Chord on Guitar
In today's lesson, we'll go over 7 distinct ways to play the Fm7 guitar chord, also known as the F minor seventh chord.
This guitar chord is built from the F minor scale and is similar to the F minor chord but has a little extra spice that adds a little tension and makes it sound a bit sweet and romantic.
Throughout this lesson, we'll discover common positions, voicings, and recommend finger placements, each with its own chord diagram. We'll also discuss the chord theory, chord names, how the chord can be used, easy songs to practice using the Fm7, and some tips and tricks so that the notes ring out.
Play Fm7 With Barre Chords
Due to the notes that make the Fm7 guitar chord there is no open position but there is a very easy voicing for playing the barre chord which only takes one finger!
Fm7 one finger barre chord. (easy version)
Place your index finger on the fourth string first fret. Then barre with your index finger across strings 1-4 all on the first fret by pressing to the side of your finger.
That's it! Your first finger just presses down on one fret (but across a few strings) and you simply strum from the fourth string down.
This is a great barre chord to learn first so you can move up to playing barre chords that use all the strings and not have to rely on a capo!
Technically this could be considered an inversion where the chord is not in root position. When written it would be written as a slash chord such as Fm7/Eb. This simply means play the Fm7 but have the Eb note as the bass note.
Fm7 Barre Chord With Em7 Shape
Building off the guitar chord we just learned, this next voicing will use all six strings. To play, place your:
First finger on the sixth (low e) string, first fret
Ring finger on the fifth string, third fret
As you squeeze with your ring finger, press your index finger to the side so all the strings ring out on the third fret, specifically the high e string.
Pressing down multiple frets can be a bit tricky, especially if it's lower on the fretboard (such as on the third fret). So, a simple hack is to use your middle finger to help your index finger press down and make sure your thumb is in the middle of your hand.
When you strum all six strings and root note is in the bass (the F note is the bass note) it will give you a nice full sound.
Fm7 Barre Chord With Am7 Shape
This next voicing is a very common way to play the Fm7 chord on guitar.
To play, place your first finger on the fifth string, 8th fret
Then, your ring finger on the 4th string, 10th fret
At last, your second finger on the B (second) string, 9th fret
You can also think of this position as playing the regular F minor chord but then lifting off your pinky finger. If you don't know the F minor chord be sure to check out the other guitar chords I have in my Chord Library.
The difference with this next voicing is just one note from the voicing above. All you do is add your pinky on the high E string (first string), 11th fret.
A fun thing to do is just strum between these two chords, adding in the little finger and taking it off.
Easy way to make some cool music!
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Fm7 Guitar Chord (Without Barring)
This Fm7 guitar chord doesn't need a barre, and there's no stretching, which makes it much easier. To play, place your:
Second finger on the B string, 4th fret
Ring finger on the high e string, 4th fret
Index finger on the D string, third fret
Fourth finger on the G string, 5th fret
As you can see in the guitar chord diagram, avoid strumming the low E string and the A string.
Fm7 Guitar Chord For Jazz - The Aspiring Jazz Guitarist!
These next two voicings are pretty tricky because of how much your fingers will have to stretch.
Fm7 Jazz Voicing #1:
To play, first you are just going to play an Ab triad. Place your:
Index finger on the second string, 4th fret
Middle finger on the third string, 5th fret
Ring finger on the fourth string, 6th fret
Pinky on the fifth string, 8th fret
Strum from the fifth string down and avoid strumming the low E string and high E string.
Fm7 Jazz Voicing #2
This is just a simple variation where you will barre your index finger on strings 1 and 2 on the 4th fret.
Between you and me... you can skip these last two chords. Focus on the easier Fm7 chords first :)
Tips For Fm7 Guitar Chord
Tip #1
The #1 mistake players make in learning how to play new chords is that they don't memorize them. Some of the fingerings for the Fm7 chord are pretty tricky, and if you have to constantly look at where to place your fingers, your mind/body won't develop proper coordination. Focus on learning just a few chords at a given time.
Tip #2
To learn the Fm7, play the chord very slowly so that all your fingers attack the strings simultaneously. Your chord changes will always be slow if you place your fingers on the fretboard one at a time.
Tip #3
Even though I have written the Fm7 as the Em7 or Am7 "shape," I would highly recommend not to think or refer to them like this. Yes, I know it's common for early intermediate guitar players (which is why I used it), but when speaking a language, you don't translate as you speak; you just say the word.
Thinking of "Am7 shape" or "Em7 shape" causes mental clutter.
A Few Common Chord Progressions Using The Fm7 Guitar Chord
Ab - Db - Fm7- Eb
Fm7 - Eb - Bm7 - Db
Db - C7 - Fm7
What Notes Make Up The Fm7 Chord?
The Fm7 chord, or F minor seventh, is a four-note chord that is derived from the F minor scale.
F G Ab B C Db Eb
When you number the notes on a scale, they are called SCALE DEGREES. So to make an Fm7 chord, we need the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th "degrees."
1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
F G Ab B C Db Eb
All minor 7th chords use the 1, b3, 5, & b7 notes of their corresponding minor scale. **Yes, you could argue that the chord is derived from the F major scale. However, where the Fm7 chord is not played in F major, I think this just clutters up the conversation with theory, so let's just skip this!
When these four notes are being played harmonically (played at the same time), you are playing an Fm7 chord.
Now you may be wondering why did you add a "b" (flat) to the 3, 6, and 7? This is beyond the scope of this lesson, but for simplicity's sake, all minor scales have the 3rd, 6th, and 7th notes lowered down a half step. We'll have other lessons where we'll go in-depth on this. For now, let's just stick to learning the Fm7 guitar chord.
Now, notice from each chord diagram ONLY the following notes F, Ab, C, & Eb are being used? If you have another note in the chord, such as a G or B note, it is no longer an Fm7 chord!
That being said, you can have multiple F, Ab, C, or Eb notes, as shown in each chord diagram. Try playing the chords, but only strum a few of the notes.
If you listen closely, the chord will sound "thin" when there is only one of each note. However, adding more of the same notes makes the chord have more depth. You may even think of it as a darker or lighter shade of the same color.
Now you know many ways to play the Fm7 guitar chord and understand some Fm7 chord theory!