Cmaj7

Cmaj7 is C, E, G and B, a major seventh. The shape this page opens on is written x32000, lowest string first.

Also written CM7, CΔ7, CΔ, Cma7 or C major 7. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Cmaj7 on the guitar, and 32 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Cmaj7 belongs to C major (the I), E minor (the ♭VI), G major (the IV) and A minor (the ♭III).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x32000, x3241x, x35453, xxx557, xx5557, 8-10-9-9-8-8, x-x-10-12-12-12, x-15-14-12-12-12.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Cmaj7 has x324xx, 879xxx, x3x45x, 8x99xx.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Cmaj7 has x2201x, 3324xx, x3545x, xx5557, 7755xx, xx9988, 8-10-9-9-x-x, x-x-10-12-12-12.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Cmaj7 has 3x241x, x2x010, x3x453, x7x587, 7x555x, x-10-x-9-12-8, 8x998x, 12-x-10-12-12-x.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Cmaj7 has 030453, 005557, 000002, 00050x, 03000x, 00400x.

Tensions. A shell of Cmaj7, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (D), the #11 (F#) and the 13 (A).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.