Guitar UpscaleMajor 7th Chord (maj7) on guitar
A major 7th chord adds the major seventh to a major triad, a soft, jazzy and dreamy sound.
| Written as | Cmaj7 |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1 3 5 7 |
| Notes in Cmaj7 | C E G B |
| Semitones from the root | 0, 4, 7, 11 |
About the Major 7th Chord
Cmaj7 is C, E, G and B. The 7th sits a half step below the root.
It is the I and IV chord of a major key in jazz, bossa nova, soul and lo-fi music.
On guitar the open Cmaj7 (x32000) and Fmaj7 (xx3210) shapes are easier than the plain major chords.
Intervals
- 1: Root, 0 semitones above the root
- 3: Major 3rd, 4 semitones above the root
- 5: Perfect 5th, 7 semitones above the root
- 7: Major 7th, 11 semitones above the root
Major 7th Chord charts in all 12 keys
Each chart shows the strings from the thick low E on the left to the thin high e on the right. Numbers in the dots are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little, T thumb. × marks a muted string and ○ an open one. A bar across strings is a barre.
Cmaj7: C E G B
Gmaj7: G B D F#
Dmaj7: D F# A C#
Amaj7: A C# E G#
Emaj7: E G# B D#
Bmaj7: B D# F# A#
F#maj7: F# A# C# E#
Dbmaj7: Db F Ab C
Abmaj7: Ab C Eb G
Ebmaj7: Eb G Bb D
Bbmaj7: Bb D F A
Fmaj7: F A C E
Scales to play over Cmaj7
Each of these scales, started on the root of Cmaj7, holds every note of the chord:
- C Major Scale
- C Harmonic Major scale
- C Lydian Mode
- C Lydian + b2 scale
- C Ichikosucho scale
- C Taishikicho scale
- C Chinese Scale
- C Byzantine scale
- C Moorish Phrygian scale
- C Blues Scale with Both Thirds
- C Chromatic Blues Scale
- C Bebop Major scale
- C Bebop Dominant scale
- C Augmented Scale
- C Nine Tone Scale
- C Lydian #2 scale
- C Ten Tone Harmonic scale