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The Cmaj7 chord on guitar: C major seventh, open and moveable

Cmaj7 might be the easiest chord in this whole family: take the open C, lift one finger, and you are there. The note you uncover, the open B string, is the major seventh, and it turns a plain C into something softer and slightly dreamy. Higher up the neck, the moveable shapes are a first step into the chords jazz and soul players live on.

Cmaj7 chord: notes and shapes at a glance

  • Name: C major seventh
  • Symbol: Cmaj7
  • Notes: C, E, G, B
  • Where it belongs: Imaj7 in C major, IVmaj7 in G major, VImaj7 in E minor, IIImaj7 in A minor

Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.

Shape Frets, low E to high E Notes, low to high What it is for
Cmaj7, open x32000 C E G B E Two fingers and three open strings: an open C with the first finger lifted.
Cmaj7, no barre x3545x C G B E Four strings, all four notes, nothing open: the moveable shape jazz players use first.
Cmaj7, barre x35453 C G B E G The same shape with the first finger flattened to add G on the high E.
Cmaj7, root on the low E 8x998x C B E G C on the sixth string with B, E and G above it. Compact, and easy to slide to other major sevenths.
Cmaj7, open x 3 2 0 0 0 · 3 2 · · · fingers
Cmaj7, no barre x 3 5 4 5 x · 1 3 2 4 · fingers
Cmaj7, barre x 3 5 4 5 3 · 1 3 2 4 1 fingers
Cmaj7, root on the low E 8 x 9 9 8 x 2 · 3 4 1 · fingers

Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.

Cmaj7 on the neck: every C, E, G, B

Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Cmaj7: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Cmaj7.

Fretboard notes
Swipe the fretboard sideways to see every fret.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1 - E
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
2 - B
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
3 - G
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
4 - D
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
5 - A
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
6 - E
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E

From C to Cmaj7: lift one finger

Play the open C chord, x32010. Now lift the first finger off the B string, so that string rings open: x32000. That open B is the major seventh of C. Three fingers became two, and the chord gained a note.

String Fret Finger Note Role
6 (low E)x--Not played
5 (A)33CRoot
4 (D)22EMajor third
3 (G)open-GFifth
2 (B)open-BMajor seventh
1 (high E)open-EMajor third
The one thing to watch is the low E. Under x32000 it adds an E below the root and muddies the bass. Start the strum on the A string, or touch the low E lightly with the tip of the third finger.

The moveable Cmaj7: x3545x and x35453

First finger on the A string at fret 3 (C), third finger on the D string at fret 5 (G), second finger on the G string at fret 4 (B), fourth finger on the B string at fret 5 (E). That is x3545x: four strings, four notes, no open string, so you can move it anywhere. Two frets lower it is Bbmaj7, two frets higher Dmaj7.

To add the high E string, flatten the first finger across it at fret 3: x35453. It adds another G on top. Many players prefer the four string version, which stays cleaner in a band.

Cmaj7 or C7: half a step, opposite effects

Both chords add a seventh to C major, and that is where the resemblance stops. Cmaj7 adds B, a half step below the root: the chord glows and can stay put. C7 adds Bb, a whole step below the root: the chord gets tense and wants to resolve to F. Play x32000 then x32310 and hear the difference.

Chord Notes Sound
CC, E, GPlain major
Cmaj7C, E, G, BSoft, bright, stays put
C6C, E, G, ARound, a resting chord
C7C, E, G, BbTense, pulls to F
Cadd9C, E, G, DOpen, airy, still a plain major

Progressions with Cmaj7

In the key of C, Cmaj7 is the I chord; in the key of G, it is the IV. These are the moves it turns up in most:

  • Cmaj7, Fmaj7: the I and IV of C, both with a seventh. Two chords that never sound finished, which is the point.
  • C, Cmaj7, C7, F: one voice inside the chords steps down C, B, Bb, then lands on A in the F chord. Play it slowly and listen for that line.
  • Cmaj7, Am, Fmaj7, G: the I vi IV V of C, softened.
  • Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7: climbing the key of C one chord at a time, every chord a seventh.

The chord progressions page explains how these patterns are built and how to move them to other keys.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Cmaj7 on guitar?
The open version is x32000: third finger on the A string at fret 3, second finger on the D string at fret 2, and the G, B and high E strings open. Leave the low E silent. It is the open C chord with the first finger lifted off the B string.
What notes are in Cmaj7?
C, E, G and B: a C major chord plus the major seventh, B. In the open shape, the B is simply the open B string.
What is the difference between Cmaj7 and C7?
Cmaj7 has B natural, C7 has Bb. Cmaj7 is soft and can stay where it is; C7 is tense and wants to move to F. A chart that says just "C7" always means the Bb version.
Can I play Cmaj7 instead of C?
Often, yes. It gives a C chord a softer, dreamier color. Listen to the melody first: if it sings a C while you play the B, the two notes a half step apart can rub. In that bar, go back to the plain C.
Is CM7 the same as Cmaj7?
Yes. Cmaj7, CM7, CΔ7 and C major 7 all name the same chord. Only a lowercase m changes the meaning: Cm7 is C minor seventh, a different chord.
Yohann Abbou, guitar teacher and founder of Guitar Social Club

Who made this

Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.

More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.