A major seventh chord (Amaj7)

A major seventh is a 4-note major seventh chord: A – C♯ – E – G♯. It sounds soft, open and dreamy. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio.

NotesA – C♯ – E – G♯
Formula1 – 3 – 5 – 7
SymbolAmaj7 · AΔ7 · AM7 · A7M
TypeMajor seventh chord

A major seventh on guitar

Open position
Fret 5 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (open position)

Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of the 4th string (D).
Finger 1 (index) on fret 1 of the 3rd string (G).
Finger 3 (ring) on fret 2 of the 2nd string (B).
The 5th and 1st strings are played open.
Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (A). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

A major seventh on piano

In root position, play A – C♯ – E – G♯ from bottom to top with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 of your right hand. With your left hand you usually play just the root (A) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: C♯ – E – G♯ – A
Second inversion: E – G♯ – A – C♯
Third inversion: G♯ – A – C♯ – E

A major seventh on ukulele

Open position
From fret 2

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of A major seventh

A1 · root
C♯3 · major third
E5 · perfect fifth
G♯7 · major seventh

Widely used in bossa nova, jazz, ballads and pop: it adds color to the tonic or the fourth degree without creating strong tension.

Progressions with Amaj7

Turnaround: Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7

A four-chord turnaround widely used in jazz, bossa nova and ballads, in A major.

A colorful fourth degree: Imaj7 – IVmaj7

Two major seventh chords that alternate to create a mellow mood.

Which keys contain A major seventh?

Amaj7 belongs to 4 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
E major	IVmaj7
A major	Imaj7
C♯ natural minor	VImaj7
F♯ natural minor	IIImaj7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A major seventh chord?

A major seventh (Amaj7) has 4 notes: A (root), C♯ (major third), E (perfect fifth), G♯ (major seventh).

How do you play A major seventh on guitar?

The easiest shape is in open position: x 0 2 1 2 0 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Finger 2 (middle finger) on fret 2 of the 4th string (D). Finger 1 (index finger) on fret 1 of the 3rd string (G). Finger 3 (ring finger) on fret 2 of the 2nd string (B). The 5th and 1st strings ring open. Don't play the 6th string: strum from the 5th string down.

What is the chord symbol for A major seventh?

It's written Amaj7; you'll also see AΔ7, AM7 or A7M. Letter notation names the notes C, D, E, F, G, A and B.

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