Cmmaj7

CmMaj7 is C, Eb, G and B, a minor major seventh. The shape this page opens on is written x3100x, lowest string first.

Also written CmM7, Cm(maj7), C-Δ7 or CminMaj7. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for CmMaj7 on the guitar, and 28 derived voicings in 4 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x3100x, x35443, x65587, x-x-10-8-8-7, 8-10-9-8-8-8, x-x-10-12-12-11, x-15-13-12-12-x.

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. CmMaj7 has x314xx, x3x44x, 869xxx, 8x98xx.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. CmMaj7 has x2101x, x3544x, 7655xx, xx9888, 8-10-9-8-x-x, x-x-10-12-12-11, x-14-13-12-13-x, 3314xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. CmMaj7 has 3x141x, x3x443, 7x554x, x6x587, x-10-x-8-12-8, 8x988x, 11-x-10-12-12-x, x-14-x-12-13-11.

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. CmMaj7 has 7600xx, 36000x, x6700x.

Tensions. A shell of CmMaj7, 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.