C major seventh (Cmaj7) chord on guitar

Major seventh chord (a major triad plus a major seventh) on C: the notes of the Cmaj7 chord are C – E – G – B.

Dots show:

Open positioneasy

A shape, fret 3hard

Position 7medium

E shape, fret 8hard

D shape, fret 10medium

C shape, fret 12medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the Cmaj7 chord sounds like

The major seventh chord sounds soft, dreamy and a little jazzy. The major seventh sits a half step below the root, so it rubs gently against it without needing to resolve.

Notes of the Cmaj7 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	C	root
3	E	major third (4 semitones)
5	G	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	B	major seventh (11 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Open position

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): open (G3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, middle finger (E3)
String 5 (A): fret 3, ring finger (C3)
String 6 (E): not played

A shape, fret 3, barre at fret 3

String 1 (e): fret 3, index finger (G4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, little finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, middle finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 5, ring finger (G3)
String 5 (A): fret 3, index finger (C3)
String 6 (E): not played

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 3; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 7

String 1 (e): fret 7, index finger (B4)
String 2 (B): fret 8, middle finger (G4)
String 3 (G): fret 9, ring finger (E4)
String 4 (D): fret 10, little finger (C4)
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing Cmaj7 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a Cmaj7 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 3
shape: Amaj7

Capo: fret 5
shape: Gmaj7

Capo: fret 7
shape: Fmaj7

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The Cmaj7 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

C major: Imaj7 (tonic)
G major: IVmaj7 (subdominant)
A minor: IIImaj7
E minor: VImaj7

Similar chords and substitutes

If Cmaj7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Am7 – relative minor seventh: three shared notes
Em7 – mediant minor seventh: three shared notes
C6 – another tonic colour, more vintage and swingy

Simpler versions

C – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
C5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

Cmaj9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Cmaj7 chord?

C, E, G, B. The root is C; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, major seventh.

What is the easiest way to play Cmaj7 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”, rated easy. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Amaj7 shape at fret 3 or a Gmaj7 shape at fret 5.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some Cmaj7 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (G) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the Cmaj7 chord written?

The chord symbol is Cmaj7, and its full name is C major seventh.