G major seventh chord (Gmaj7)

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

NotesG – B – D – F♯
Formula1 – 3 – 5 – 7
SymbolGmaj7 · GΔ7 · GM7 · G7M
TypeMajor seventh chord

G major seventh on guitar

Open position
Fret 3 (E shape)
Barre at fret 10 (A shape)

How to place your fingers (open position)

Finger 3 (ring finger) on fret 3 of the 6th string (E).
Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of string 5 (A).
Place finger 1 (index finger) at fret 2 on the 1st string (E).
The 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings are played open.

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 (G). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

G major seventh on piano

In root position, play G – B – D – F♯ 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 (G) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: B – D – F♯ – G
Second inversion: D – F♯ – G – B
Third inversion: F♯ – G – B – D

G major seventh on ukulele

Open position
From fret 3

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 G major seventh

G1 · root
B3 · major third
D5 · perfect fifth
F♯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 Gmaj7

Turnaround: Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7

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

A colorful fourth degree: Imaj7 – IVmaj7

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

Which keys contain G major seventh?

Gmaj7 belongs to 4 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
D major	IVmaj7
G major	Imaj7
E natural minor	IIImaj7
B natural minor	VImaj7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the G major seventh chord?

G major seventh (Gmaj7) has 4 notes: G (root), B (major third), D (perfect fifth), F♯ (major seventh).

How do you play G major seventh on guitar?

The easiest shape is in open position: 3 2 0 0 0 2 (from string 6 to string 1). Finger 3 (ring) on fret 3 of string 6 (E). Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of string 5 (A). Finger 1 (index) on fret 2 of string 1 (E). Play strings 4, 3, and 2 open.

How do you write G major seventh in chord notation?

It's written Gmaj7; you may also see GΔ7, GM7, or G7M. Chord symbols use letters for note names: C = do, D = re, E = mi, F = fa, G = sol, A = la, and B = si.

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