Major 7th Guitar Chords

maj7 chords for beginners

Major 7th chords are a 4 note chord having a root, a major third, a perfect fifth and a major 7th. They are a major triad with an added major 7th.

  • They are written as maj7, M7, Δ, ⑦... the most common is maj7
  • Stacking thirds: Root - Major 3rd (3) - Minor 3rd (5) - Major 3rd (7)
  • The chord formula is 1 - 3 - 5 - 7

Example: Calculating Dmaj7
  • maj7 Chords consist of the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th notes of the Major Scale
  • D chords are based on the D major scale
  • D major scale reads as follows: D - E - F# - G# - A - B - C#
  • Formula for maj7 chords: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7
  • Substitute the notes into the formula
  • Dmaj7 reads as follows: D - F# - A - C#

The practice song for this session using maj7 chords is 'Imagine' written and performed by John Lennon.

Major 7th Chords Table
(maj7) A A#/B♭ B C C#/D♭ D D#/E♭ E F F#/G♭ G G#/A♭
Root A A#/B♭ B C C#/D♭ D D#/E♭ E F F#/G♭ G G#/A♭
Major 3rd C# Cx/D D# E E#/F F# Fx/G G# A A#/B♭ B B#/C
Perfect 5th E E#/F F# G G#/A♭ A A#/B♭ B C C#/D♭ D D#/E♭
Major 7th G# Gx/A A# B B#/C C# Cx/D D# E E#/F F# Fx/G

Major 7th Chords - Right Handers

Chord Chart Legend Chart Legend

Major 7th Chords - Left Handers

Chord Chart Legend Major Guitar Chords for Lefties
Major 7th Chords - Part 1
Major 7th Chords - Part 2
Major 7th Chords - Part 3
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