F♭m(maj7) Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The F♭m(maj7) chord is a minor major seventh chord built on the root note F♭. Its notes are F♭, A𝄫, C♭ and E♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as Em(maj7).
Minor major seventh chords are unsettling in a beautiful way. A major seventh over a minor triad creates a sharp, unresolved edge best known from spy themes, Hitchcock scores and the darker corners of jazz.
- Notes
- F♭ · A𝄫 · C♭ · E♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 11
- Note
- F♭
- Quality
- Minor Major 7
- Symbol
- F♭m(maj7)
F♭m(maj7) on piano
4 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play F♭m(maj7) on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on F♭, index finger on A𝄫, middle finger on C♭ and little finger on E♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard E♭ is a black key and F♭, A𝄫 and C♭ are white, the keys you'd normally call E, G and B. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- F♭1
- A𝄫♭3
- C♭5
- E♭7
F♭m(maj7) on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, F♭m(maj7) is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6, 3, 2 and 1 ring open.
F♭ · A𝄫 · C♭ · E♭
Try F♭m(maj7) on the virtual piano
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F♭m(maj7) chord notes
Also known as Em(maj7)
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | F♭(Fb) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | A𝄫(Abb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | C♭(Cb) | |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | E♭(Eb) |
How to use the F♭m(maj7) chord
The F♭m(maj7) chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major seventh. Start at the root F♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: F♭, A𝄫, C♭ and E♭. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor major seventh chords appear in line cliches, where the top voice of a minor chord walks down from the root through the major seventh. James Bond themes, bossa nova and minor-key jazz ballads are where you meet them.
How F♭m(maj7) differs from similar chords
F♭m(maj7) combines the minor third of F♭m with the major seventh of F♭maj7. Its seventh sits a half step higher than in F♭m7, right under the root, and that is where its tense, cinematic edge comes from. It usually passes by in a line cliché between F♭m and F♭m7.
Where F♭m(maj7) is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key F♭m(maj7) would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the F♭m(maj7) chord?
- The F♭m(maj7) chord contains F♭, A𝄫, C♭ and E♭ (Fb, Abb, Cb and Eb in plain text).
- Is the F♭m(maj7) chord major or minor?
- F♭m(maj7) is a minor major seventh chord. Minor major seventh chords are unsettling in a beautiful way. A major seventh over a minor triad creates a sharp, unresolved edge best known from spy themes, Hitchcock scores and the darker corners of jazz.
- How do you play F♭m(maj7) on piano?
- Place your fingers on F♭, A𝄫, C♭ and E♭ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard E♭ is a black key and F♭, A𝄫 and C♭ are white, the keys you'd normally call E, G and B.
- How do you play F♭m(maj7) on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6, 3, 2 and 1 ring open.
- What is another name for the F♭m(maj7) chord?
- F♭m(maj7) is enharmonically equivalent to Em(maj7). Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.