G Major 7 Guitar Chord (Gmaj7)

321

Gmaj7

NameG major 7
NotesGBDF#
IntervalsRroot3major 3rd55th7major 7th

Root

Chord type

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  • Up arrowDown arrow Chord type

Shape

Tone

Dots show

Gmaj7 is G major with a soft F# on top, and all six strings ring. It's a dreamy chord for slow songs.

How to play the Gmaj7 chord

  1. Put your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the low E string (G).
  2. Put your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the A string (B).
  3. Put your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the high E string (F#).
  4. Let the D, G and B strings ring open (D, G, B).
  5. Strum from the low E string down.

TipUse your 3rd and 2nd fingers on the two low strings and your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the high E.

4 ways to play Gmaj7

Every shape below is a real Gmaj7, checked note by note: G, B, D, F# and nothing else. Easiest first, with the dark dot on the root.

Gmaj7 chord diagram, open: 3 2 0 0 0 2
Open EasyWith sound The one most players learn first. This is the shape you hear on the play button.
Gmaj7 chord diagram, 3rd fret: 3 x 4 4 3 x
3rd 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.
Gmaj7 chord diagram, 5th fret: x x 5 7 7 7
5th fret Medium 4 strings, root on the D string. Higher and lighter, great for a second guitar part.
Gmaj7 chord diagram, barre, 10th fret: x 10 12 11 12 10
Barre, 10th fret Medium Root on the A string. The open Amaj7 shape moved up with a barre, a movable shape for any major 7 chord.

G7 vs Gmaj7: hear the difference

Only one note changes: Gmaj7 has F# (the major 7th), G7 has F (the flat 7th). Play them back to back:

Gmaj7

GBDF#

Soft and dreamy

G7

GBDF

Bluesy and restless

Chord progressions with Gmaj7

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 G
Gmaj7 Cmaj7 Gmaj7 Cmaj7
Soft and floating, great for slow songs.

The ii - V - I

iim7 - V7 - Imaj7 in G
Am7 D7 Gmaj7 Gmaj7
The most important progression in jazz.

Jazz turnaround

Imaj7 - vim7 - iim7 - V7 in G
Gmaj7 Em7 Am7 D7
Loops back to the start forever.

Practice changing to Gmaj7

Switching chords cleanly is what makes a new chord usable in a song. Start the timer, then go back and forth between Gmaj7 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.

Gmaj7 to Cmaj7

60seconds

-last try

-your best

Practice Gmaj7 with

Songs that use Gmaj7

  • Just the Way You Are by Billy JoelVerse D-Bm6-Gmaj7
  • Autumn Leaves by Eric ClaptonVerse Em7-A7-Dmaj7-Gmaj7
  • Reminiscing by Little River BandVerse Gmaj7-C9-B7
  • Your Song by Elton JohnVerse D-Gmaj7-A/C#-F#m (Capo 1)

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 Gmaj7

Cmaj7major 7Am7minor 7D7dominant 7Em7minor 7

Other G chords

GmajorGmminorG7dominant 7Gm7minor 7Gsus4suspended 4G7sus47 suspended 4G5power chordG6major 6Gm6minor 6G9dominant 9GaugaugmentedGdim7diminished 7

Other major 7 chords

Cmaj7C E G BC#maj7C# E# G# B#Dmaj7D F# A C#Ebmaj7Eb G Bb DEmaj7E G# B D#Fmaj7F A C EF#maj7F# A# C# E#Abmaj7Ab C Eb GAmaj7A C# E G#Bbmaj7Bb D F ABmaj7B D# F# A#

See all 154 chords in the Guitar Chord Chart

Gmaj7 chord FAQ

What notes are in a Gmaj7 chord?

Gmaj7 has 4 notes: G (the root), B (the major 3rd), D (the 5th) and F# (the major 7th). Every Gmaj7 shape on the guitar is those notes in a different order.

What is the difference between G7 and Gmaj7?

Only one note changes: Gmaj7 has F# (the major 7th), G7 has F (the flat 7th). Use the player above to hear both.

Is Gmaj7 hard to play?

No, it's one of the easier ones: 3 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 Gmaj7 as a barre chord?

Barre the 10th fret with your 1st finger, using the A shape (x-10-12-11-12-10). That shape is movable: slide it up or down and it plays a major 7 chord on every fret.