C Major Seventh Chord (Cmaj7)

1Composition: what it contains

C – E – G – B

Symbol

Cmaj7

Also written

Cmaj7, CM7, CΔ7, CΔ, Cma7

Formula

1 3 5 7

2Appearance: diagrams and sound

On the guitar

On the ukulele

On the piano

On the staff

On bass and as an arpeggio

3Indications: what it is used for

The Imaj7 and IVmaj7 chords of a major key, typical in jazz, bossa nova, soul, neo-soul, R&B, city pop, lo-fi and ballads. It is the tonic of a major ii–V–I and is often paired with the sixth chord as an alternative. In minor keys it appears as IIImaj7 and VImaj7. It can be extended to maj9 or maj7♯11 (for the Lydian sound), and a major seventh can substitute a plain major triad to soften a progression.

4Dosage: how to practise it

On guitar, learn the shapes rooted on the sixth string (with the fifth string muted), on the fifth string and drop-2 voicings on the top four strings. On piano, play root-3-5-7 in all inversions and the left-hand shell 1-7 or 3-7 with the melody above. Practise ii7–V7–Imaj7 at 80–140 BPM in all keys around the circle of fifths. Arpeggiate the chord in two octaves. Ten minutes daily. Listen for the half step between the seventh and the octave and keep it soft and balanced.

5Warnings and common mistakes

Do not confuse maj7 with the dominant seventh '7': the major seventh is a half step below the octave, the flat seventh a whole step. Avoid voicing the root a minor ninth above the major seventh (seventh low, root on top), which sounds harsh. If the melody holds the root or the fourth, a major seventh may clash; consider a 6 chord. The triangle (Δ) alone also means major seventh.

6Interactions with chords, scales and keys

Inversions

• Inversion 1 · Cmaj7/E · E – G – B – C Play
• Inversion 2 · Cmaj7/G · G – B – C – E Play
• Inversion 3 · Cmaj7/B · B – C – E – G Play

Scales to play over Cmaj7

• C Major Scale
• C Lydian Mode
• C Double Harmonic Major Scale
• C Bebop Dominant Scale

Where it appears (keys and Roman numerals)

• Imaj7 – Key of C Major
• IVmaj7 – Key of G Major
• IIImaj7 – Key of A Minor
• VImaj7 – Key of E Minor

7Other presentations available

The same chord from every note

C♯maj7 Dmaj7 E♭maj7 Emaj7 Fmaj7 F♯maj7 Gmaj7 A♭maj7 Amaj7 B♭maj7 Bmaj7

Other chords on C

C Cm Cdim Caug Csus2 Csus4 C5 C6 Cm6 C7 Cm7 Cm7♭5 Cdim7 Cm(maj7) C7sus4 Cadd9 Cm(add9) C6/9 C9 Cmaj9 Cm9 C11 Cm11 C13 C7♭9 C7♯9 C7♯5 C7♭5