A major seventh chord is composed using a root/1st, major 3rd, perfect 5th and major 7th (or R/1-3-5-7) intervals played simultaneously. Generally written as CMA7, Cma7 or CΔ7, it is good practice to simply use an uppercase C with the uppercase letters MA followed by a super scripted 7 to represent it in writing (ie: CMA7).
The tonality of a major seventh chord is consonant, resolved and stable, it does not "lead away" from itself like the dominant seventh chord, or leave the listener with a sense of "suspense" like the minor seventh flat five chord.
Major seventh chord profile
| Intervals | root/1st, major 3rd, perfect 5th, major 7th or R/1-3-5-7 |
|---|---|
| Stability | Consonant, stable, resolved |
| Grouping class | Tetrad |
| Common names (examples in C) | CMA7, Cmaj7, CMAJ7, Cma7, CΔ7 |
Chord shapes/voicings
Major seventh chord table
| Chord name | Root | Major third | Perfect fifth | Major seventh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMA7 | C | E | G | B |
| C♯MA7 | C♯ | E♯ (F) | G♯ | B♯ (C) |
| D♭MA7 | D♭ | F | A♭ | C |
| DMA7 | D | F♯ | A | C♯ |
| D♯MA7 | D♯ | F (G) |
A♯ | C (D) |
| E♭MA7 | E♭ | G | B♭ | D |
| EMA7 | E | G♯ | B | D♯ |
| FMA7 | F | A | C | E |
| F♯MA7 | F♯ | A♯ | C♯ | E♯ (F) |
| G♭MA7 | G♭ | B♭ | D♭ | F |
| GMA7 | G | B | D | F♯ |
| G♯MA7 | G♯ | B♯ (C) | D♯ | F (G) |
| A♭MA7 | A♭ | C | E♭ | G |
| AMA7 | A | C♯ | E | G♯ |
| A♯MA7 | A♯ | C (D) |
E♯ (F) | G (A) |
| B♭MA7 | B♭ | D | F | A |
| BMA7 | B | D♯ | F♯ | A♯ |
Audio sample(s)
| D Major chord voicing #1 |
|---|
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