F♯m7 chord on piano
F♯m7 is F♯, A, C♯ and E. You'll find F♯ on the first black key of the group of three. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.
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 F♯m7 on piano
From F♯, go 3 half steps up to A, 4 half steps up to C♯ then 3 half steps up to E. Press the 4 keys together and that's F♯m7.
- 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 black, white, black and white keys, the same pattern as C♯m7, so your hand shape carries over.
F♯m7 inversions
- root position: F♯–A–C♯–E. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: A–C♯–E–F♯, A lowest. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: C♯–E–F♯–A, with C♯ at the bottom. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: E–F♯–A–C♯ (E in the bass). Fingers 1-2-3-5.
Inversions keep the same notes and change which one is lowest. Moving between chords, pick the inversion that keeps your hand closest to where it already is.
F♯m7 chord changes
These are the changes you'll meet most often with F♯m7, using the first shape of each chord.
- B7 (V in E major): F♯m7 to B7: play B7 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♯. B7 on piano
- Amaj7 (IV in E major): F♯m7 to Amaj7: play Amaj7 in 3rd inversion (G♯–A–C♯–E) and A, C♯ and E stay under the same fingers, while F♯ moves up to G♯. Amaj7 on piano
- Emaj7 (I in E major): F♯m7 to Emaj7: play Emaj7 in 1st inversion (G♯–B–D♯–E) and E stays under the same finger, while F♯ moves up to G♯, A up to B and C♯ up to D♯. Emaj7 on piano
F♯m7 is a minor seventh chord: a minor triad plus a minor seventh. F♯m7 is the easy-going minor, common as the ii chord right before a dominant seventh. On piano you hear it best with the keys pressed together, then rolled.
A short F♯m7 drill
Play F♯m7 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. Finish with the inversions in order: F♯–A–C♯–E; A–C♯–E–F♯; C♯–E–F♯–A; E–F♯–A–C♯.
The keys of F♯m7
F♯m7 is a minor seventh chord, 1–♭3–5–♭7 from F♯. Root position, from the bottom: how F♯m7 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| F♯ | black key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| A | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | minor third |
| C♯ | black key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| E | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | minor seventh |
Written G♭m7, it's the same chord with the same keys.
Where F♯m7 shows up
In E major, ii–V–I on piano is F♯m7 (F♯–A–C♯–E), B7 (B–D♯–F♯–A) and Emaj7 (E–G♯–B–D♯). About the jazz cadence.
F♯m7 on guitar and ukulele
Switching instruments? Try F♯m7 on ukulele or F♯m7 on guitar, or compare them on the F♯m7 chord page.
Related F♯ chords on piano
Other minor seventh chords
F♯m7 on piano: questions
What notes are in F♯m7 on piano?
F♯, A, C♯ and E: F♯ (black key), A (white key), C♯ (black key) and E (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play F♯m7 on piano?
Press F♯, A, C♯ and E together (2 black, 2 white). Right hand: 1 on F♯, 2 on A, 3 on C♯ and 5 on E.
What are the inversions of F♯m7?
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). Only the lowest note changes.
What does F♯m7 look like on the keyboard?
black, white, black and white keys, the same pattern as C♯m7, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside F♯m7. Updated September 2026.