Rootless Voicing

The FAC♯E Voicing

The FAC♯E Voicing — known pedagogically as Box V — is the augmented major 7 shape (1–3–♯5–7) voiced as F–A–C♯–E. It is the lower shell (FACE) with the ♭7 raised a half step to a major 7th, which turns the cluster into a melodic-minor sound. One fixed shape produces six chord interpretations depending on the bass: Lydian dominant, melodic-minor tonic, altered, sus, and Lydian-augmented sounds all live inside the same four keys.

FABE

The FABE Voicing

Treble-register four-note shape (F–A–B–E). Twelve chord interpretations depending on the bass.

F–A–B–E12 chord interpretations

Modes: Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Locrian, Lydian Dominant, Altered Scale

Open The FABE Voicing →

BEFA

The BEFA Voicing

Bass-register cluster (B–E–F–A). Same four pitch classes as FABE, dropped an octave.

B–E–F–A12 chord interpretations

Modes: Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Locrian, Lydian Dominant, Altered Scale

Open The BEFA Voicing →

A♭BDG

The A♭BDG Voicing

Diminished-family shape (A♭–B–D–G). Eight chord interpretations: four dom7♭9 + four dim7.

A♭–B–D–G8 chord interpretations

Modes: Diminished Scale

Open The A♭BDG Voicing →

FAC♯E

The FAC♯E Voicing

Augmented major 7 shape (F–A–C♯–E), known pedagogically as Box V. Six chord interpretations covering Lydian dominant, melodic minor, and altered sounds.

F–A–C♯–E6 chord interpretations

Modes: Lydian Augmented, Lydian Dominant, Melodic Minor, Altered Scale

FAC♯EThe FAC♯E VoicingRootless

F3—

A3—

C♯4—

E4—

Bass clef

ModesLydian AugmentedLydian DominantMelodic MinorAltered Scale

6 Chord Interpretations

The augmented major 7 shape (1–3–♯5–7) reinterprets as six different chords depending on what bass note sits underneath. The chord-tone column is the universal Box V label — the role F (the shape's lowest note) plays inside that chord.

#	Bass	Chord	F is	Voicing formula
1	G	G13♯11	♭7	♭7 · 9 · ♯11 · 13
2	C♯	C♯7alt (♭13, ♯9)	3	3 · ♭13 · 1 · ♯9
3	E	E7sus(♭9, 13)	♭9	♭9 · 11 · 13 · 1
4	B	B13♯11	♯11	♯11 · ♭7 · 9 · 11
5	D	Dm(maj9)	♭3	♭3 · 5 · 7 · 9
6	F	Fmaj7♯5	1	1 · 3 · ♯5 · 7

Transpose this voicing

The shape is portable — pick any root and the same intervallic structure moves with it. Use this widget to internalize how the FAC♯E voicing sits on the keyboard in every key.

TransposeThe FAC♯E Voicing in any key

Choose a root

F3note 1

A3note 2

D♭4note 3

E4note 4

Bass clef

Same shape, transposed to F as the new lowest note. Notes: F – A – D♭ – E.

Box V — every transposition

All 12 Augmented Maj7 Transpositions

The augmented major 7 shape walks through all twelve keys in a cycle of fourths. The two highlighted rows are the registers that sit cleanly under the hand when comping in the middle of the keyboard.

#	Notes (low → high)
1	E♭ · G · B · D
2	A♭ · C · E · G
3	D♭ · F · A · C
4	G♭ · B♭ · D · F
5	B · E♭ · G · B♭
6	E · A♭ · C · E♭
7	A · D♭ · F · A♭
8	D · G♭ · B♭ · D♭
9	G · B · D♯ · F♯
10	C · E · G♯ · B
11	F · A · C♯ · E
12	B♭ · D · F♯ · A

Want the full picture? The voicings hub shows all four voicings side by side, plus the master modes-to-voicings reference that tells you which shape to reach for in any harmonic situation.