Ways to play Emaj7
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 Emaj7
A major 7th chord adds the natural 7th, a half step below the root, to a major triad. Emaj7 is E, G♯, B, D♯. Don't mix it up with E7: the two differ by one note, and that note changes the whole character.
| Note | Formula | Interval from E |
|---|---|---|
| E | 1 | Root |
| G♯ | 3 | Major 3rd |
| B | 5 | Perfect 5th |
| D♯ | 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 Emaj7
Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of E, G♯, B and D♯, and the chord's Roman numeral in each.
| Key | Emaj7 is the |
|---|---|
| E major | Imaj7 |
| B major | IVmaj7 |
| G♯ minor | VImaj7 |
| C♯ minor | IIImaj7 |
Progressions to try
ii7–V7–Imaj7 in E major
The jazz cadence. The maj7 at the end lands softer than a plain major chord would.
Related chords
Other chords on E: