What notes are in an Emaj7 chord?

Emaj7 contains four notes: E (root), G♯ (major third), B (perfect fifth), and D♯ (major seventh).

How do you play Emaj7 on guitar?

The standard open voicing is 021100: open low E, B (2nd fret 5th string), E (2nd fret 4th string), G♯ (1st fret 3rd string), B (open 2nd string), and an optional open high E. The D♯ on top can be added at the 11th fret of the 1st string for a closed voicing.

How is Emaj7 different from E7?

Only the seventh changes. Emaj7 has D♯ (major 7th); E7 has D natural (minor / dominant 7th). E7 wants to resolve to A; Emaj7 sits stably as the tonic of E major.

What pieces use Emaj7?

Wes Montgomery's "Bumpin' on Sunset," many Joe Pass arrangements, bossa-nova standards transposed to E. Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" (in C major but uses related lush 7th voicings throughout).

E major 7 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

E major 7 (Emaj7) — E, G♯, B, D♯ — is E major with a major 7th on top. The chord is a guitar favourite because the open low E string makes Emaj7 voicings ring out fully. Joe Pass and Jim Hall both used Emaj7 constantly; the chord is the foundation of bossa-nova jazz guitar.

Intervals

The E major 7 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

E→G#major 3rd4 semitones
G#→Bminor 3rd3 semitones
B→D#major 3rd4 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the E major 7 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the E major 7 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

Emaj7 has D♯ as its 7th — the leading tone of E. Replacing D♯ with D natural produces E7 (dominant), which has a bluesy, resolution-seeking sound. On guitar, the open Emaj7 voicing (021100) keeps the bass E ringing while moving the 4th-string finger off the standard E shape to grab D♯.

In context

Emaj7 is the I chord in E major. The ii–V–I runs F♯m7 → B7 → Emaj7. The chord also appears as IV of B major (giving a lydian colour) and bVI of G♯ minor. Wes Montgomery's "Bumpin' on Sunset" uses Emaj7 as its primary tonic.

Drill it

The E major 7 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

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Frequently asked

What notes are in an Emaj7 chord?: Emaj7 contains four notes: E (root), G♯ (major third), B (perfect fifth), and D♯ (major seventh).
How do you play Emaj7 on guitar?: The standard open voicing is 021100: open low E, B (2nd fret 5th string), E (2nd fret 4th string), G♯ (1st fret 3rd string), B (open 2nd string), and an optional open high E. The D♯ on top can be added at the 11th fret of the 1st string for a closed voicing.
How is Emaj7 different from E7?: Only the seventh changes. Emaj7 has D♯ (major 7th); E7 has D natural (minor / dominant 7th). E7 wants to resolve to A; Emaj7 sits stably as the tonic of E major.
What pieces use Emaj7?: Wes Montgomery's "Bumpin' on Sunset," many Joe Pass arrangements, bossa-nova standards transposed to E. Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" (in C major but uses related lush 7th voicings throughout).