Emaj7

Emaj7 is E, G#, B and D#, a major seventh. The shape this page opens on is written 021100, lowest string first.

Also written EM7, EΔ7, EΔ, Ema7 or E major 7. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Emaj7 on the guitar, and 29 derived voicings in 3 families.

In which keys. Every note of Emaj7 belongs to C# minor (the ♭III), E major (the I), Ab minor (the ♭VI) and B major (the IV).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 021100, xx2444, x76444, x7685x, x79897, x-x-x-9-9-11, x-x-9-9-9-11, 12-14-13-13-12-12.

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. Emaj7 has 066xxx, x768xx, 12-11-13-x-x-x, 0x11xx, x7x89x, 12-x-13-13-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Emaj7 has xx1100, 0211xx, xx2444, x6645x, 7768xx, x7989x, x-x-9-9-9-11, 11-11-9-9-x-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Emaj7 has x2x140, 0x110x, 4x244x, x6x454, 7x685x, x7x897, x-11-x-9-12-11, 11-x-9-9-9-x.

Tensions. A shell of Emaj7, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (F#), the #11 (A#) and the 13 (C#).

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