Chord · C Major 7th
Cmaj7 Chord
Cmaj7 is C, E, G and B — dreamy, sophisticated. Tonic of jazz ballads.
Cmaj7 on every instrument
The same 4 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What Cmaj7 is made of
Cmaj7 (C major seventh) is built from the notes C, E, G, B, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, 7.
Stack 1, 3, 5 and 7 on a root of C and you get C, E, G and B. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a major seventh chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Dmaj7 sounds like a transposed Cmaj7.
Major 7th: Dreamy, sophisticated. Tonic of jazz ballads.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. Every tone here lands on its own letter — no accidentals needed.
Keys that contain Cmaj7
All 4 notes sit inside the scale of 4 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on C
Same root, different colour.
The same major seventh shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about Cmaj7
- What notes are in the Cmaj7 chord?
- Cmaj7 is made of C, E, G and B — the 1, 3, 5 and 7 degrees of a major seventh chord built on C.
- What keys use the Cmaj7 chord?
- Every note of Cmaj7 belongs to 4 keys: C Major (I), G Major (IV), A Minor (III), E Minor (VI). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Cmaj7 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Cmaj7 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 18 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why Cmaj7 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.