A major 7th chord
Amaj7
- AR
- C♯3
- E5
- G♯7
Open
What each note does
- A is the root. It names the chord and is the note your ear hears as home.
- C♯ is the major third. It makes the chord sound bright. Lower it a half step to C and the chord turns minor.
- E is the fifth. It adds weight without changing the character, so it is the first note to drop when a voicing gets crowded.
- G♯ is the major seventh, a half step below the root. It makes the chord sound rich and settled rather than pushing anywhere.
More voicings
Barre · Emaj7 shape · 5th fret
Compact · top 4 strings · 5th fret
Shell · root, 3rd, 7th · 5th fret
Progressions that use Amaj7
- Open in builder →
ii7–V7–Imaj7 · A major · Jazz turnaround
Bm7E7Amaj7
- Open in builder →
Imaj7–vi7–ii7–V7 · A major · Standards
Amaj7F♯m7Bm7E7