Chords

Cmaj7

The warm, floating major-seventh sound.

C E G B · 1 3 5 7

Cmaj7 adds one note to a plain C chord — the major 7th, B — and turns a simple triad into something warm, dreamy and jazzy.

Every voicing on the neck

The idea

A major chord with its 7th

Cmaj7 is C E G B — a C major triad plus the major 7th (B). That B sits just a half-step below the root, giving the chord its soft, unresolved glow.

Notes: R 3 5 7 = C E G B.
The major 7th (B) is the color — one fret below the root.
It sounds resolved and restful, never tense like a dominant 7.

Where it lives

The tonic of a major key

Cmaj7 is the home chord (Imaj7) in C major and the sound of jazz, bossa and soft pop. It is what a plain C chord becomes when you want more warmth.

Use it as the Imaj7 in a major key.
Swap it for a plain C to add warmth instantly.
Pairs beautifully with Dm7 and G7 in a ii–V–I.

Add the major 7th to any major chord and it stops sounding plain and starts sounding sophisticated.

Practice it in the app

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