F Major 7th
maj7
0 - 4 - 7 - 11Major + major 7th
About F Major 7th
F major seventh is the chord that rescues beginners from F major. Where the plain triad demands a full barre, the seventh version can be played on four strings with three fingers — and it sounds richer, which makes the substitution feel like a gain rather than a compromise.
The notes
F, A, C, E. The E is a major seventh above F, and on guitar it can be the open high E string — which is exactly why the easy shape exists. The chord asks for a note the instrument already has.
Change the E to E♭ and the chord becomes F7, which pulls toward B♭. Fmaj7 pulls nowhere; it is a resting chord, and the difference between the two is one fret and two opposite functions.
The shape
Index at the first fret of the B string, middle at the second of the G, ring at the third of the D, and the high E open. Four strings, no barre, and the low F omitted.
That omission matters harmonically less than it seems: with the third in the bass the chord is an inversion, and in most arrangements the bass player or the thumb supplies the root anyway.
Where it shows up
As the IV of C major — probably the single most common use — and as the I of its own key. In pop the progression C–Fmaj7 is everywhere, because both chords are easy and the seventh keeps the movement soft.
In bossa nova and jazz ballads it is a default tonic, played instead of plain F for the same reason Cmaj7 replaces C: the added seventh removes the sense of arrival.