Why does F#m7 only need two fingers despite being at the sixth fret?

A single-finger barre across the G and C strings covers two of the four notes, while the E and A strings are left open because their natural pitches already supply the chord's seventh and third.

What's the difference in feel between F#m7 and plain F# minor?

The added seventh (E) softens the triad's edges into a smoother, jazzier color, useful as a passing or coloring chord rather than a firmly landed minor tonic.

Where does F#m7 fit in common keys?

As the ii chord of E major and the vi7 chord of A major, both contexts where it substitutes comfortably for a plain F# minor triad with a softer sound.

Is the two-string barre shape movable to other chords?

Yes — the same G-and-C-string barre with open E and A strings produces a minor seventh chord at whatever fret it's placed on, making it a useful movable pattern once learned here.

← Ukulele Chords

F#m7 Chord on Ukulele

F#m7 = F# – A – C# – E (Root, Minor 3rd, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th)

F#m7 turns out to be one of the more economical four-note ukulele shapes despite living up the neck: barre the G and C strings together at the sixth fret with one finger, leave the E and A strings open, and the four notes — F#, A, C#, E — appear exactly, with the open E string supplying the minor seventh and the open A string supplying the third. Only two fingers are needed even though the barred fret sits well past first position, a reminder that higher-fret shapes aren't automatically harder than open ones.

F#m7 functions as the ii chord of E major and the vi7 chord of A major, both places where a plain F# minor triad would work but the added seventh softens the chord's edges and gives it the smoother, jazzier color minor-seventh chords are known for. It's a mellower cousin of F#7's driving dominant tension — where F#7 pulls hard toward B, F#m7 sits more comfortably as a passing or coloring chord within its home keys rather than pushing urgently anywhere. The two ringing open strings underneath the barre give it more sustain and resonance than the closed F# minor triad shape, despite being played higher up the neck.

Fingerings

Sixth-Fret Barre

How to Practice It

The barre itself only covers two strings, which is far more forgiving than a full four-string barre — angle the index finger's tip so it presses the G and C strings evenly without also touching the E string beside it, since that would deaden the crucial open seventh. Practice sliding this same two-string barre shape to other frets to internalize the movable minor-seventh pattern generally, since it works for any m7 chord once transposed to the right fret. A useful pairing drill is F#m7 to B, its most common resolution point in the key of E major, since the change from a barred, higher-position shape down to an open B-area chord is a good test of clean position shifts.

Common Progressions

ii – V – I in E major (F#m7 – B – E)
vi7 – IV – I – V in A major (F#m7 – D – A – E)
i7 as a softened tonic color in F# minor's own key
F#m7 – B7 – E, a jazz-flavored ii-V-I in E major

FAQ

Why does F#m7 only need two fingers despite being at the sixth fret?: A single-finger barre across the G and C strings covers two of the four notes, while the E and A strings are left open because their natural pitches already supply the chord's seventh and third.
What's the difference in feel between F#m7 and plain F# minor?: The added seventh (E) softens the triad's edges into a smoother, jazzier color, useful as a passing or coloring chord rather than a firmly landed minor tonic.
Where does F#m7 fit in common keys?: As the ii chord of E major and the vi7 chord of A major, both contexts where it substitutes comfortably for a plain F# minor triad with a softer sound.
Is the two-string barre shape movable to other chords?: Yes — the same G-and-C-string barre with open E and A strings produces a minor seventh chord at whatever fret it's placed on, making it a useful movable pattern once learned here.

F#m7 on other instruments: F#m7 on Guitar, F#m7 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.