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F Minor Major 7th

Minor Major 7th · F – A♭ – C – E · intervals P1-m3-P5-M7

The F Minor Major 7th chord (Fm(maj7)) contains the notes F, A♭, C, and E. Its interval formula is R-m3-P5-M7. A minor triad with a major 7th — eerie and unresolved, the James Bond theme chord.

At the keyboard

F · Ab · C · E
Flashcards · Chord
Three questions on F Minor Major 7th
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Fm(maj7)

The F Minor Major 7th chord is a four-note chord made up of F, A♭, C, and E. It is built from a root, minor third, perfect fifth, and major seventh.

Construction

F Minor Major 7th = Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th + Major 7th = F · A♭ · C · E
NoteIntervalDegree
FRoot1
A♭Minor 3rd♭3
CPerfect 5th5
EMajor 7th7

F Minor Major 7th Inversions

F Minor Major 7th piano chord, 1st inversion — A♭, C, E, F
The F Minor Major 7th chord, 1st inversion, on a piano keyboard.
F Minor Major 7th piano chord, 2nd inversion — C, E, F, A♭
The F Minor Major 7th chord, 2nd inversion, on a piano keyboard.
F Minor Major 7th piano chord, 3rd inversion — E, F, A♭, C
The F Minor Major 7th chord, 3rd inversion, on a piano keyboard.
PositionNotes
Root PositionF – A♭ – C – E
1st InversionA♭ – C – E – F
2nd InversionC – E – F – A♭
3rd InversionE – F – A♭ – C

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the F Minor Major 7th is the tonic (i) chord of F Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, Ab Major4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭).

B♭E♭A♭D♭

Order of flats

Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.

BEADGCF

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Chords in the Key of F Minor

These are the triads built on each degree of the F minor scale:

C1C2C3C4FCC6C7C8G#
iF Minor (minor)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1iF MinorMinor
2ii°G DiminishedDiminished
3IIIG♯ MajorMajor
4ivA♯ MinorMinor
5vC MinorMinor
6VIC♯ MajorMajor
7VIID♯ MajorMajor

F Minor Major 7th — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the F Minor Major 7th chord on piano?
The F Minor Major 7th chord contains the notes F – A♭ – C – E. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What notes are in the F Minor Major 7th chord?
FmMaj7 contains: F, Ab, C, E. Minor triad with major seventh.
How does FmMaj7 differ from Fm7?
FmMaj7 has E (major seventh), Fm7 has Eb (minor seventh).
How is FmMaj7 used in music?
Harmonic minor i chord. Jazz, film noir, classical.
What songs use Minor Major 7th?
James Bond, My Funny Valentine.
Why does it sound tense?
Minor third (Ab) and major seventh (E) create dissonance.
How does FmMaj7 differ from Fmaj7?
FmMaj7 has minor third (Ab). Fmaj7 has major third (A).

Related Tools

Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.

References & Further Reading

The note names, intervals, fingering, and harmony on this chord page are grounded in the following sources. Public domain treatises and scores are linked to their full text; primary data is piano.org's own interval-derived reference dataset — continuously maintained and human-verified, with no fixed publication date.

  1. 1

    Prout, Ebenezer(1889)

    Harmony: Its Theory and Practice

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2

    Goetschius, Percy(1889)

    The Material Used in Musical Composition

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3

    J. S. Bach(1723)

    Two-Part Invention in F major, BWV 779

    Public domain score
  4. 4

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Entry reviewed and maintained by Justin Evans. Corrections are read and applied.Report an error

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