semicord

Gmaj7 G major seventh chord

Notes
G B D F#
Formula
1 3 5 7
Semitones
0 4 7 11 above the root
Other symbols
GM7, GΔ7

G to B is a major third (4 semitones), B to D is a minor third (3 semitones), D to F# is a major third (4 semitones). A major triad plus the note a half step below the root (F#). It has no tritone, so it sounds settled and soft rather than restless like G7.

Gmaj7 on the piano

C4D4E4F4G4A4B4C5D5E5F5G5A5B5C#4Eb4F#4Ab4Bb4C#5Eb5F#5Ab5Bb5C4GBC5DF#

Root position from G4: G4, B4, D5, F#5. Middle C is C4.

Gmaj7 on the guitar

Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has G as its lowest note.

GGBBDGBF#F#
Open position
3 2 0 0 0 2 (low E to high e)
Sounds G2 B2 D3 G3 B3 F#4
GG×F#F#BBDD×
E-shape barre, root on the E string at fret 3
3 x 4 4 3 x (low E to high e)
Sounds G2 F#3 B3 D4
10fr×GGDDF#F#BBDD
A-shape barre, root on the A string at fret 10
x 10 12 11 12 10 (low E to high e)
Sounds G3 D4 F#4 B4 D5

The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play major seventh chords on other roots.

Inversions of Gmaj7

An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.

PositionNotes, bass firstNamedListen
Root positionG B D F#Gmaj7
1st inversionB D F# GGmaj7/B
2nd inversionD F# G BGmaj7/D
3rd inversionF# G B DG/F# (also read as Gmaj7/F#)

Where Gmaj7 fits

Gmaj7 is Imaj7 in G major, IVmaj7 in D major.