Amaj7 chord on guitar
The Amaj7 chord, or A major 7th, stacks 4 notes on A: A, C♯, E and G♯. Musicians write its formula 1 3 5 7.
Notes and intervals of Amaj7
Each note of Amaj7 has a job. Counted from the root, you get root (A), major 3rd (C♯), perfect 5th (E) and major 7th (G♯). Change one of these intervals and you get a different chord, which is why the formula 1 3 5 7 is worth memorising rather than the shape alone.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | A |
| 3 | major 3rd | C♯ |
| 5 | perfect 5th | E |
| 7 | major 7th | G♯ |
How to play Amaj7 on guitar
Start with the first diagram: x 0 2 1 2 0, read from the 6th string (low E) to the 1st string (high E). Your lowest note is A. The next positions give the same notes in a different order, which is useful when you want Amaj7 to sit closer to the surrounding chords.
Let the open strings ring: strum slowly once and check that every note sounds clean before you speed up.
Which keys use Amaj7?
Amaj7 appears naturally in 2 major keys: A major (Imaj7) and E major (IVmaj7). In A major it is the Imaj7 chord, so you will meet it in many songs written in that key and in its relative minor.
Scales to play over Amaj7
These scales share every note of Amaj7: A major scale and A Lydian mode. A major scale is the safest choice; the others add more colour.
About major 7th chords
A major triad plus a major seventh: 1 3 5 7. The seventh sits a semitone below the octave, which gives a soft, floating, slightly bittersweet colour. The major seventh chord is relaxed rather than tense: it does not need to resolve and can sit for a whole verse. For example Cmaj7: C E G B.
It lives on I and IV of a major key (Imaj7, IVmaj7), so it is the home chord of jazz, bossa nova, soul, neo-soul and soft pop. Classic moves: ii7 V7 Imaj7 in jazz, Imaj7 IVmaj7 for dreamy loops, and in minor keys ♭IIImaj7 and ♭VImaj7, the I and IV of the relative major.
Open shapes like Cmaj7 (x32000), Fmaj7 (xx3210) and Amaj7 (x02120) are easy starters. The movable shapes: root on the 5th string with the 7 on the 3rd string, or root on the 6th string with the 5th string muted (root, 7, 3, 5 on strings 6, 4, 3, 2). Strum lightly: the 7 sounds best when it rings clearly.
Confusing maj7 with 7 is the classic error: the dominant 7 has a minor seventh and pulls to resolve, maj7 does not. Watch the symbols: maj7, M7, Δ7 and Δ all mean the same chord, but 7 alone does not. And a major 7 on the V chord clashes with the melody: in a major key, V takes a plain 7.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the Amaj7 chord?
Amaj7 (A major 7th) contains A, C♯, E and G♯. In intervals: root (A), major 3rd (C♯), perfect 5th (E) and major 7th (G♯).
How do you play Amaj7 on guitar?
The easiest shape is x 0 2 1 2 0, from the low E string to the high E string. This page shows 3 positions with finger numbers.
What scale goes with Amaj7?
A major scale fits Amaj7 best. Other scales that contain all its notes: A Lydian mode.
What key is Amaj7 in?
Amaj7 belongs to A major (Imaj7) and E major (IVmaj7). In A major it is the Imaj7 chord.
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