Chords
Cmaj7
The warm, floating major-seventh sound.
C E G B · 1 3 5 7
C1
E3
G5
B7
Cmaj7 adds one note to a plain C chord — the major 7th, B — and turns a simple triad into something warm, dreamy and jazzy.
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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.
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