What notes are in a Gmaj7 chord?

Gmaj7 contains four notes: G (root), B (major third), D (perfect fifth), and F♯ (major seventh).

How do you play Gmaj7 on guitar?

The standard open voicing is 3x0002 or 320002 — G on the 6th string, optional B on the 5th string, open D and G on the 4th and 3rd, open B on the 2nd, and F♯ on the 2nd fret of the 1st string.

How is Gmaj7 different from G7?

Only the seventh changes. Gmaj7 has F♯ (major 7th); G7 has F natural (minor / dominant 7th). Gmaj7 sounds stable; G7 wants to resolve to C.

What pieces use Gmaj7?

Steely Dan's "Aja," Stevie Wonder's "Visions," "Have You Met Miss Jones" (in F major but visiting G-related harmony), and countless other jazz-pop standards. Gmaj7 is one of the most-played 7th chords on guitar.

G major 7 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

G major 7 (Gmaj7) — G, B, D, F♯ — is G major with a major 7th on top. The chord is a guitar staple because the standard G voicing barely changes to become Gmaj7 (just lift the F note off the 1st string). The chord opens many jazz ballads and serves as the I in countless G-major standards.

Intervals

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

G→Bmajor 3rd4 semitones
B→Dminor 3rd3 semitones
D→F#major 3rd4 semitones

On the keyboard

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

On the guitar

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

Common mistakes

Gmaj7 has F♯ as its 7th. Replacing F♯ with F natural produces G7 (dominant), which has a tense, bluesy character. The half-step is what defines the chord's major-7 quality. On guitar, the open Gmaj7 voicing (3x0002 or 320002) keeps the bass G and adds F♯ on the 2nd string.

In context

Gmaj7 is the I chord in G major. The ii–V–I runs Am7 → D7 → Gmaj7. The chord also serves as the IV of D major and bVI of B minor. Pop-jazz crossovers from the 70s onward use Gmaj7 heavily — Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Donald Fagen all built song forms around it.

Drill it

The G 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 a Gmaj7 chord?: Gmaj7 contains four notes: G (root), B (major third), D (perfect fifth), and F♯ (major seventh).
How do you play Gmaj7 on guitar?: The standard open voicing is 3x0002 or 320002 — G on the 6th string, optional B on the 5th string, open D and G on the 4th and 3rd, open B on the 2nd, and F♯ on the 2nd fret of the 1st string.
How is Gmaj7 different from G7?: Only the seventh changes. Gmaj7 has F♯ (major 7th); G7 has F natural (minor / dominant 7th). Gmaj7 sounds stable; G7 wants to resolve to C.
What pieces use Gmaj7?: Steely Dan's "Aja," Stevie Wonder's "Visions," "Have You Met Miss Jones" (in F major but visiting G-related harmony), and countless other jazz-pop standards. Gmaj7 is one of the most-played 7th chords on guitar.