Cmaj7, also called C major seventh, contains C, E, G and B. Use the piano diagram to find the notes, hear the chord and explore its inversions.
The Cmaj7 chord is a major triad plus a major seventh.
Preserve the written chord spelling shown here; keyboard equivalence does not rename the chord.
Choose a position to keep the four written notes, sounding keys, bass note, playback and print reference synchronized.
Cmaj7 uses 1–3–5–7: C–E–G–B.
a major triad plus a major seventh
Compared with C major, add the major seventh above the root.
A seventh chord has four chord tones and therefore four positions: root position plus three inversions. The slash symbol identifies the written bass note.
| Position | Symbol | Notes, low to high | Bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position, current selection | Cmaj7 | C4–E4–G4–B4 | C4 |
| First inversion | Cmaj7/E | E4–G4–B4–C5 | E4 |
| Second inversion | Cmaj7/G | G4–B4–C5–E5 | G4 |
| Third inversion | Cmaj7/B | B4–C5–E5–G5 | B4 |
Fingerings are not included on this page. The diagram shows note positions, not a prescribed hand shape.
Use the written notes, keyboard positions and playback without treating the diagram as a required hand shape.
Read left- and right-hand finger numbersOpen Music Theory
Supports: Major Seventh chord construction, written spelling and inversion principles
Scope: Supports theory and spelling only; keyboard layouts are PianoGrid examples, and no fingering is assigned.
C, E, G, B.
1–3–5–7.
Three inversions, in addition to root position.
Select the four pitch classes that make Cmaj7, then check your answer.
This one-octave exercise checks the exact four-note pitch-class set. Order and inversion do not affect the result; missing and extra notes are reported, while fingering and live performance are not assessed.
One octave, C through B. Select a key again to remove it.
Chord tones: C–E–G–B · Formula: 1, 3, 5, 7
Dots mark the notes to play. C4 is middle C. Numbers identify octaves, not fingers.