Ways to play Amaj7
Open position first, then up the neck. Tap a shape to put it on the fretboard above and hear it. The numbers are fingers (1 is your index), × means leave that string out, and ○ means let it ring open.
What's in Amaj7
A major 7th chord adds the natural 7th, a half step below the root, to a major triad. Amaj7 is A, C♯, E, G♯. Don't mix it up with A7: the two differ by one note, and that note changes the whole character.
| Note | Formula | Interval from A |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | Root |
| C♯ | 3 | Major 3rd |
| E | 5 | Perfect 5th |
| G♯ | 7 | Major 7th |
Soft, open and a little wistful. It works as a I or IV chord and turns up constantly in jazz, bossa nova, soul and soft rock.
Keys that use Amaj7
Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of A, C♯, E and G♯, and the chord's Roman numeral in each.
| Key | Amaj7 is the |
|---|---|
| A major | Imaj7 |
| E major | IVmaj7 |
| C♯ minor | VImaj7 |
| F♯ minor | IIImaj7 |
Progressions to try
ii7–V7–Imaj7 in A major
The jazz cadence. The maj7 at the end lands softer than a plain major chord would.
Related chords
Other chords on A: