Play Cmaj75 shapes
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12 diagrams · 12 playable
Play C#maj75 shapes
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Anatomy
Major 7th Chord Formula
The 4 scale degrees that form every major 7th chord — in any key.
I
Root0 st
III
Major 3rd+4 st
V
Perfect 5th+7 st
VII
Major 7th+11 st
A major 7th chord is a major triad with a natural 7th stacked on top. That single extra note — sitting just one semitone below the root — gives the chord its hallmark dreamy, jazzy, "floating" quality. It is the same chord as a major triad with one note added, but it sounds dramatically more sophisticated.
Applied to C: C (root) – E (major 3rd) – G (perfect 5th) – B (major 7th). Applied to F: F – A – C – E. Applied to D: D – F# – A – C#.
About this tool
About Major 7th Chords on Guitar
Major 7th chords are the bridge between simple major triads and full jazz harmony. They keep the bright foundation of a major chord but add an unmistakable smoothness, sweetness, and tonal richness — which is why they appear constantly in jazz, bossa nova, R&B, neo-soul, and lo-fi. Once you can play Cmaj7 and Fmaj7 on guitar, you can re-harmonise countless songs by swapping plain major chords for their major 7th counterparts. The sound is so distinctive that one Cmaj7 will instantly shift a track from "pop" to "jazzy."
- 01Built from 4 notes: root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, major 7th (formula 1 – 3 – 5 – 7)
- 02Dreamy, sweet, jazzy sound — the signature chord of bossa nova and neo-soul
- 03Only one note different from a plain major chord: a major 7th added above the 5th
- 04Written with "maj7", "M7", or "Δ7" (Cmaj7, CM7, CΔ7 — all mean the same chord)
- 05Functions as the I (tonic) or IV (subdominant) in major-key jazz progressions
- 06Cmaj7, Fmaj7, and Gmaj7 are the easiest open voicings — all reachable with the open C major shape modified
- 07The major 7th interval (11 semitones) sits a single half-step below the root — the source of the chord's lush dissonance
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
A major 7th chord (often written Cmaj7) is a four-note chord built from the root, major third, perfect fifth, and major seventh. For example, Cmaj7 contains the notes C, E, G, and B. It has a smooth, jazzy, dreamy quality — much sweeter and more complex than a plain major chord.
There are 12 major 7th chords — one for each note in the chromatic scale: Cmaj7, C#maj7/Dbmaj7, Dmaj7, D#maj7/Ebmaj7, Emaj7, Fmaj7, F#maj7/Gbmaj7, Gmaj7, G#maj7/Abmaj7, Amaj7, A#maj7/Bbmaj7, and Bmaj7.
A major 7th (Cmaj7) uses a natural 7th — the note one semitone below the root. A dominant 7th (C7) uses a minor 7th — two semitones below the root. The result: Cmaj7 sounds smooth and resolved, while C7 sounds tense and pulling. Both are four-note chords built on the same major triad — only the 7th differs.
The major 7th formula is 1 – 3 – 5 – 7: root, major third (4 semitones above root), perfect fifth (7 semitones above root), and major seventh (11 semitones above root). Applied to C: C (1), E (3), G (5), B (7).
Cmaj7 — it's the easiest. Take the open C major chord and remove your ring finger from the D string. The resulting open shape is one of the most beautiful chords on guitar and a staple of jazz and acoustic ballads.
Three notations all mean the same chord: "maj7", "M7" (capital M), or "Δ7" (triangle-7). So Cmaj7, CM7, and CΔ7 are identical. Be careful not to confuse "M7" (capital M = major 7th) with "m7" (lowercase m = minor 7th) — they sound completely different.
All Chord Types
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