Major 7th chord · G root
Gmaj7 chord
- G1
- B3
- D5
- F#7
The G major 7th chord is built from the notes G, B, D, F#. It turns up 4 times in the 104 songs on this site, including Best Part and Lyin' Eyes.
By Chiye · Updated
What is the Gmaj7 chord?
The Gmaj7 chord (G major 7th) is a major 7th chord built from four notes: G, B, D, F# — the 1–3–5–7 of the G scale, 4 semitones and 7 semitones and 11 semitones above the root. On guitar it is most often played in open position (3-x-0-0-0-2) with 2 fretted strings while 3 strings ring open and the A string stays silent. It is rated beginner — most players learn it in their first weeks. A soft, jazzy chord heard all over neo-soul and bossa. Across the 104 song sheets in this site's library, Gmaj7 appears 4 times in 2 songs, most often in the keys of G and D, and the chord it most often moves to is C. Below you will find step-by-step fingering, 4 positions up the neck, audio of every shape, and the real progressions this chord lives inside.
How do you play the Gmaj7 chord on guitar?
Open position — the easiest version of Gmaj7 on the guitar.
- Press the low E string at fret 3 with your middle finger.
- Press the high E string at fret 2 with your index finger.
- Start your strum on the low E string and do not play the A string at all.
The x mark is part of the shape, not an accident: the chord only sounds right when A stays silent. Instead of aiming your pick around that string, let the string next to it rest on it and damp it. 3-x-0-0-0-2
How do you make Gmaj7 sound clean?
Gmaj7 needs the A string muted with the finger behind it — most players never notice that string ringing.
Compare G with Gmaj7. Keep the low E at fret 3, mute the A string, and change the high E from fret 3 to fret 2. Then move to C.
In real songs
What songs use the Gmaj7 chord?
- chord changes
- 4
- songs
- 2
- common keys
- G · D
Across the 104 chord sheets on this site, Gmaj7 appears 4 times in 2 songs — most often in the keys of G and D.
Dmaj7Am7Gmaj7A#maj7
GGmaj7CAm
GGmaj7CAm
Chord flow
What chord comes after Gmaj7?
The counts come from our own song library — 1879 chord changes in total — which makes them a snapshot of real songs instead of a rule of thumb.
Three-chord moves
Three-chord moves are where a chord really shows its character. These are the ones that actually happen in this library, counted from the sheets:
What other ways can you play Gmaj7 up the neck?
3 more positions below. Learn one of these well and the rest become optional. The value of a second position is practical: it keeps your fretting hand near where the song is already heading.
Position 2 · Fret 3 barre
Every note here is fretted, which means the shape transposes anywhere on the neck without changing your fingers.
It uses 2 separate barres. Fret each one across its marked strings, then add the other fingers without damping the ringing notes.
Position 3 · Fret 5 barre
Every note here is fretted, which means the shape transposes anywhere on the neck without changing your fingers.
The barre is the only hard part of this shape. Keep the bar finger straight and use the weight of your arm rather than the grip of your thumb.
Position 4 · Fret 10 barre
No open strings, so this is a movable shape: slide it up or down and the same fingering gives you a different chord name.
One bar does most of the work. Roll that finger onto its bony edge and pull the elbow slightly in — a barre that buzzes is almost always a position problem, not a strength problem.
The theory behind Gmaj7
Gmaj7 is spelled G – B – D – F# — the 1 – 3 – 5 – 7 of the G scale, which is the root plus 4 semitones, 7 semitones, 11 semitones. A soft, jazzy chord heard all over neo-soul and bossa.
The major seventh sits a semitone under the octave, which is why it sounds soft rather than tense. On guitar it is usually the highest fretted note, so it is also the first note to disappear if your finger rolls off.
Gmaj7 on other instruments
G – B – D – F# — the highlighted black keys are the sharps or flats; play each note once, then move them into one hand position.
Take it to the practice room
