My Chord Finder
Cmaj7
Cmaj7 frets from the sixth string to the first: x 3 2 0 0 0.
Cmaj7 spelling: C, E, G, B.
Cmaj7 sounding notes: C3 (1), E3 (3), G3 (5), B3 (7), E4 (3).
Cmaj7 open strings: third string, G3, second string, B3, first string, E4.
seventh chords
seventh chords are four-note chords: a root, a third, a fifth and a seventh, stacked in thirds. Five of them do most of the work, and the rest is naming.
- major 7 (maj7) is 1, 3, 5, 7, with 4, 3, 4 semitones between the notes. On C that is C, E, G, B.
- dominant 7 (7) is 1, 3, 5, b7, with 4, 3, 3 semitones between the notes. On C that is C, E, G, Bb.
- minor 7 (m7) is 1, b3, 5, b7, with 3, 4, 3 semitones between the notes. On C that is C, Eb, G, Bb.
- half-diminished (m7b5) is 1, b3, b5, b7, with 3, 3, 4 semitones between the notes. On C that is C, Eb, Gb, Bb.
- diminished 7 (dim7) is 1, b3, b5, bb7, with 3, 3, 3 semitones between the notes. On C that is C, Eb, Gb, Bbb.
Five seventh chords
A triad has three notes; a seventh chord adds one more, a third above the fifth. On C the widest of the five, maj7, sits on the root and 4, 7 and 11 semitones above it; the other four lower the third, the fifth or the seventh from there. The symbol tells you which kind: maj7 is 1, 3, 5, 7; a bare 7 is 1, 3, 5, b7; m7 is 1, b3, 5, b7; m7b5 is 1, b3, b5, b7; dim7 is 1, b3, b5, bb7.
| Chord | Degrees | Gaps | Notes | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmaj7 | 1, 3, 5, 7 | 4, 3, 4 | C, E, G, B | |
| C7 | 1, 3, 5, b7 | 4, 3, 3 | C, E, G, Bb | |
| Cm7 | 1, b3, 5, b7 | 3, 4, 3 | C, Eb, G, Bb | |
| Cm7b5 | 1, b3, b5, b7 | 3, 3, 4 | C, Eb, Gb, Bb | |
| Cdim7 | 1, b3, b5, bb7 | 3, 3, 3 | C, Eb, Gb, Bbb |
How to tell which one you have
- Find the root: the note the chord is named after.
- Count the third. 4 semitones above the root is a major third, which leaves maj7 and 7; 3 semitones is a minor third, which leaves m7, m7b5 and dim7.
- Count the seventh. 11 semitones above the root is a major seventh, 10 is a minor seventh, 9 is a diminished seventh. When the third is minor, also check the fifth: 7 semitones is perfect, 6 semitones is flat.
Then match the two numbers:
- Major third and major seventh: maj7.
- Major third and minor seventh: 7.
- Minor third, perfect fifth and minor seventh: m7.
- Minor third, flat fifth and minor seventh: m7b5.
- Minor third, flat fifth and diminished seventh: dim7.
Every seventh chord in a major key
In a major key the seven seventh chords come from stacking every other note of the scale, four notes deep, and only four of the five kinds turn up: major 7 on degrees one and four, minor 7 on two, three and six, dominant 7 on five, half-diminished on seven. Stacking every other note of a major scale gives no diminished 7. The pattern is the same in every major key, which is why the C major and G major columns below carry the same numerals.
| Numeral | C major | G major |
|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | Cmaj7 (C, E, G, B) | Gmaj7 (G, B, D, F#) |
| ii7 | Dm7 (D, F, A, C) | Am7 (A, C, E, G) |
| iii7 | Em7 (E, G, B, D) | Bm7 (B, D, F#, A) |
| IVmaj7 | Fmaj7 (F, A, C, E) | Cmaj7 (C, E, G, B) |
| V7 | G7 (G, B, D, F) | D7 (D, F#, A, C) |
| vi7 | Am7 (A, C, E, G) | Em7 (E, G, B, D) |
| viiø7 | Bm7b5 (B, D, F, A) | F#m7b5 (F#, A, C, E) |
Twelve roots at a glance
One line per root, five names. This table is only names: the fretboard shapes for all five kinds are on 7th chords guitar, and the dominant 7th page and the minor 7 page take their own kind further. Roots are spelled with sharps here, so one root can appear as a sharp name even where a flat name is more common in print.
| Root | maj7, 7, m7, m7b5, dim7 |
|---|---|
| C | Cmaj7, C7, Cm7, Cm7b5, Cdim7 |
| C# | C#maj7, C#7, C#m7, C#m7b5, C#dim7 |
| D | Dmaj7, D7, Dm7, Dm7b5, Ddim7 |
| D# | D#maj7, D#7, D#m7, D#m7b5, D#dim7 |
| E | Emaj7, E7, Em7, Em7b5, Edim7 |
| F | Fmaj7, F7, Fm7, Fm7b5, Fdim7 |
| F# | F#maj7, F#7, F#m7, F#m7b5, F#dim7 |
| G | Gmaj7, G7, Gm7, Gm7b5, Gdim7 |
| G# | G#maj7, G#7, G#m7, G#m7b5, G#dim7 |
| A | Amaj7, A7, Am7, Am7b5, Adim7 |
| A# | A#maj7, A#7, A#m7, A#m7b5, A#dim7 |
| B | Bmaj7, B7, Bm7, Bm7b5, Bdim7 |
The major 7 chord: 1, 3, 5, 7
A major 7 chord is 1, 3, 5, 7: a major triad with a major seventh on top. Cmaj7 spells C, E, G, B, and the top note sits 11 semitones above C, one semitone under the octave. The dominant 7 keeps the same 4-semitone third and drops only that top note by 1 semitone, which is why maj7 sounds settled and a bare 7 sounds like it is still going somewhere.
| Chord | Notes |
|---|---|
| Cmaj7 | C, E, G, B |
| C#maj7 | C#, E#, G#, B# |
| Dmaj7 | D, F#, A, C# |
| D#maj7 | D#, F##, A#, C## |
| Emaj7 | E, G#, B, D# |
| Fmaj7 | F, A, C, E |
| F#maj7 | F#, A#, C#, E# |
| Gmaj7 | G, B, D, F# |
| G#maj7 | G#, B#, D#, F## |
| Amaj7 | A, C#, E, G# |
| A#maj7 | A#, C##, E#, G## |
| Bmaj7 | B, D#, F#, A# |
Roots are spelled with sharps here, so 3 of these rows need a double sharp: D#maj7 writes D#, F##, A#, C##; G#maj7 writes G#, B#, D#, F##; A#maj7 writes A#, C##, E#, G##. The double sharp keeps the four letters in thirds.
Gmaj7
Gmaj7 frets from the sixth string to the first: 3 2 0 0 0 2.
Gmaj7 spelling: G, B, D, F#.
Gmaj7 sounding notes: G2 (1), B2 (3), D3 (5), G3 (1), B3 (3), F#4 (7).
Gmaj7 open strings: fourth string, D3, third string, G3, second string, B3.
Amaj7
Amaj7 frets from the sixth string to the first: x 0 2 1 2 0.
Amaj7 spelling: A, C#, E, G#.
Amaj7 sounding notes: A2 (1), E3 (5), G#3 (7), C#4 (3), E4 (5).
Amaj7 open strings: fifth string, A2, first string, E4.
× mute · ○ open · green root · terracotta other chord tones
Numbers show a suggested finger: 1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 pinky. A bar means one finger holds several strings. Frets run from the sixth string, low E, to the first string, high E.
A measured seventh
D5 is 591.27 Hz and C4 is 262.96 Hz. C4 raised 2 octaves is 1051.84 Hz. 1051.84 ÷ 591.27 = 1.77895, and 1200 × log2(1.77895) = 997.23 cents for the seventh itself. Equal temperament puts ten semitones at 2^(10 ÷ 12) = 1.78180, which is 1000.00 cents, so this seventh is -2.8 cents against it. A just 7/4 seventh is 968.83 cents and a 9/5 seventh is 1017.60 cents, so the measured seventh sits 28.41 cents above the 7/4 and 20.36 cents below the 9/5. D5 (MIDI 74) is 440 × 2^((74 − 69) ÷ 12) = 587.33 Hz.
The two peaks come from bar 2 of Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV 846, played by Kimiko Ishizaka and released under CC0 1.0; the same reading is already published on minor 7 chords, and this page only compares its interval with the just sevenths. Johann Sebastian Bach died in 1750, and Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier is dated 1722. The 1893 G. Schirmer edition prints C in the bass with D, F, A, D, F above it, the chord Dm7: D, F, A, C. The strongest pitch classes in that window were F, A, D, C. The recording is not embedded here; the Hear buttons play the site's sampled guitar.
The recording's credit and licence are on sound credits.
Where the other seventh chord pages fit
7th chords guitar is the fretboard page: pick a root and compare the five kinds as shapes with frets and note names. This page is the other half, the construction, the numbers, the key degrees and one line per root for all twelve. Dominant 7th chords stays with the bare 7 for every root. Minor 7 chords stays with m7. Minor seventh chord guitar is the fingering page for m7. Diminished chord and diminished chord guitar take the two diminished shapes.
Questions people ask about seventh chords
How do you identify a seventh chord?
Find the root: the note the chord is named after. Count the third. 4 semitones above the root is a major third, which leaves maj7 and 7; 3 semitones is a minor third, which leaves m7, m7b5 and dim7. Count the seventh. 11 semitones above the root is a major seventh, 10 is a minor seventh, 9 is a diminished seventh. When the third is minor, also check the fifth: 7 semitones is perfect, 6 semitones is flat. Major third and major seventh: maj7. Major third and minor seventh: 7. Minor third, perfect fifth and minor seventh: m7. Minor third, flat fifth and minor seventh: m7b5. Minor third, flat fifth and diminished seventh: dim7.
What is the difference between maj7 and 7?
The third is the same and the seventh is not. C, E, G, B is major 7; lower that top note 1 semitone and you get C7, C, E, G, Bb. That one semitone is the whole difference in sound.
What is a minor-minor seventh chord?
A chord where both the triad and the seventh are minor: root, minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh. That is m7, and Cm7 spells C, Eb, G, Bb. The doubled name just says the triad is minor and the seventh is minor too.
How many seventh chords are there?
Five kinds are in common use: maj7, 7, m7, m7b5 and dim7. With twelve roots that is 60 names in the table above, and some of them sound the same because a diminished 7 repeats every three semitones.
What is the cents number on this page?
D5 is 591.27 Hz and C4 is 262.96 Hz. C4 raised 2 octaves is 1051.84 Hz. 1051.84 ÷ 591.27 = 1.77895, and 1200 × log2(1.77895) = 997.23 cents for the seventh itself. Equal temperament puts ten semitones at 2^(10 ÷ 12) = 1.78180, which is 1000.00 cents, so this seventh is -2.8 cents against it. A just 7/4 seventh is 968.83 cents and a 9/5 seventh is 1017.60 cents, so the measured seventh sits 28.41 cents above the 7/4 and 20.36 cents below the 9/5. D5 (MIDI 74) is 440 × 2^((74 − 69) ÷ 12) = 587.33 Hz.