C Major 7 Guitar Chord (Cmaj7)

32

Cmaj7

NameC major 7
NotesCEGB
IntervalsRroot3major 3rd55th7major 7th

Root

Chord type

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  • Left arrowRight arrow Root
  • Up arrowDown arrow Chord type

Shape

Tone

Dots show

Cmaj7 is C major with your 1st finger lifted, which lets the open B string add a dreamy major 7th. It might be the easiest pretty chord on the guitar.

How to play the Cmaj7 chord

  1. Don't play the low E string.
  2. Put your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (C).
  3. Put your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string (E).
  4. Let the G, B and high E strings ring open (G, B, E).
  5. Strum from the A string down, skipping the string above it.

TipFrom C, just lift your 1st finger off the B string. Keep your 2nd finger on its tip so the open G rings.

4 ways to play Cmaj7

Every shape below is a real Cmaj7, checked note by note: C, E, G, B and nothing else. Easiest first, with the dark dot on the root.

Cmaj7 chord diagram, open: x 3 2 0 0 0
Open EasyWith sound The one most players learn first. This is the shape you hear on the play button.
Cmaj7 chord diagram, 8th fret: 8 x 9 9 8 x
8th fret Medium Root on the low E string. It's the open Emaj7 shape moved up, so you can slide it to any major 7 chord.
Cmaj7 chord diagram, 10th fret: x x 10 12 12 12
10th fret Medium 4 strings, root on the D string. Higher and lighter, great for a second guitar part.
Cmaj7 chord diagram, barre, 3rd fret: x 3 5 4 5 3
Barre, 3rd fret Hard Root on the A string. The open Amaj7 shape moved up with a barre, a movable shape for any major 7 chord.

C7 vs Cmaj7: hear the difference

Only one note changes: Cmaj7 has B (the major 7th), C7 has Bb (the flat 7th). Play them back to back:

Cmaj7

CEGB

Soft and dreamy

C7

CEGBb

Bluesy and restless

Chord progressions with Cmaj7

Chords make sense once you move between them. Press play to hear each progression with the real recordings, one chord per bar, then play along. Tap any chord to open its page.

Dreamy two chord vamp

Imaj7 - IVmaj7 in C
Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7
Soft and floating, great for slow songs.

The ii - V - I

iim7 - V7 - Imaj7 in C
Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 Cmaj7
The most important progression in jazz.

Jazz turnaround

Imaj7 - vim7 - iim7 - V7 in C
Cmaj7 Am7 Dm7 G7
Loops back to the start forever.

Practice changing to Cmaj7

Switching chords cleanly is what makes a new chord usable in a song. Start the timer, then go back and forth between Cmaj7 and the chord you picked, strumming each one, and keep a count in your head. Your hands stay on the guitar the whole time. When it beeps, type in your count and try to beat it next time.

Cmaj7 to Fmaj7

60seconds

-last try

-your best

Practice Cmaj7 with

Songs that use Cmaj7

  • Imagine by John LennonVerse C-Cmaj7-F
  • Wild World by Cat StevensVerse Am-D7-G-Cmaj7
  • Something by The BeatlesVerse C-Cmaj7-C7-F
  • Fly Me to the Moon by Frank SinatraOpening Am-Dm7-G7-Cmaj7

Learn it with a teacher

Diagrams show you where your fingers go. A teacher shows you how to make it sound good. Start with these video lessons from the Infinite Guitar library:

Shell Voicings - Build Your Chord Vocabulary Free lesson · Tom Quayle Voice Leading: Intro Free with an account · Mike Salow Introduction To Guitar - Chords Free with an account · Chris Feener

Access these lessons with a free account. No payment needed. Sign up free

Chords that go with Cmaj7

Fmaj7major 7Dm7minor 7G7dominant 7Am7minor 7

Other C chords

CmajorCmminorC7dominant 7Cm7minor 7C7sus47 suspended 4C6major 6Cm6minor 6C9dominant 9CaugaugmentedCdim7diminished 7

Other major 7 chords

C#maj7C# E# G# B#Dmaj7D F# A C#Ebmaj7Eb G Bb DEmaj7E G# B D#Fmaj7F A C EF#maj7F# A# C# E#Gmaj7G B D F#Abmaj7Ab C Eb GAmaj7A C# E G#Bbmaj7Bb D F ABmaj7B D# F# A#

See all 154 chords in the Guitar Chord Chart

Cmaj7 chord FAQ

What notes are in a Cmaj7 chord?

Cmaj7 has 4 notes: C (the root), E (the major 3rd), G (the 5th) and B (the major 7th). Every Cmaj7 shape on the guitar is those notes in a different order.

What is the difference between C7 and Cmaj7?

Only one note changes: Cmaj7 has B (the major 7th), C7 has Bb (the flat 7th). Use the player above to hear both.

Is Cmaj7 hard to play?

No, it's one of the easier ones: 2 fingers and no barre, and the open strings do some of the work. Practice switching to it from a chord you already know.

How do you play Cmaj7 as a barre chord?

Barre the 3rd fret with your 1st finger, using the A shape (x-3-5-4-5-3). That shape is movable: slide it up or down and it plays a major 7 chord on every fret.