Amaj7 Guitar Chord (A Major 7th)

The Amaj7 guitar chord (A major 7th) has 4 notes: A, C♯, E and G♯. Below you'll find 4 shapes with diagrams, how to play it step by step, the keys it belongs to and common progressions that use it.

Amaj7 guitar chord: x02120213EADGBE
x02120 · open position
Notes
A – C♯ – E – G♯
Formula
1 – 3 – 5 – 7
Type
major 7th
Difficulty
easy

Transpose a song

All 4 ways to play Amaj7 on guitar

  • Amaj7 guitar chord: x02120213
    x02120 open position
  • Amaj7 guitar chord: x0222414
    x02224 open position
  • Amaj7 guitar chord: x079997fr13
    x07999 open position
  • Amaj7 guitar chord: 5766555fr1423
    576655 at the 5th fret

Diagrams: strings run from the lowest on the left; X = don't play, O = open string, numbers = fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little finger).

How to play Amaj7 on guitar

Main shape: x02120 (open position).

  1. Put your middle finger (2) on the 2nd fret of the D (4th) string.
  2. Put your index finger (1) on the 1st fret of the G (3rd) string.
  3. Put your ring finger (3) on the 2nd fret of the B (2nd) string.
  4. Let the A (5th) and high E (1st) strings ring open (marked O).
  5. Don't play the low E (6th) string (marked X).
  6. Strum from the A (5th) string down (5 strings).

Amaj7 notes and intervals

NoteFormulaInterval from the root
A 1 root
C♯ 3 major 3rd
E 5 perfect 5th
G♯ 7 major 7th

Inversions: the same notes with another one in the bass, written as slash chords: Amaj7/C♯ (1st inversion), Amaj7/E (2nd inversion) and Amaj7/G♯ (3rd inversion).

Amaj7, AM7 and AΔ7 are three ways to write the same major 7th chord. Don't confuse it with Am7 (small "m": minor 7th) or A7 (dominant 7th).

Amaj7 on piano and ukulele

  • Amaj7 piano chord: A C♯ E G♯AEC♯G♯
    Amaj7 on piano A – C♯ – E – G♯
  • Amaj7 ukulele chord: 110012
    Amaj7 on ukulele 1100

Which keys use Amaj7?

Amaj7 is one of the basic chords of 4 keys. Its number (Roman numeral) and job change with the key:

KeyWrittenNumeralFunction
A major Amaj7 Imaj7 tonic
F♯ minor Amaj7 IIImaj7 tonic
E major Amaj7 IVmaj7 predominant
C♯ minor Amaj7 VImaj7 tonic or predominant

Progressions with Amaj7

  • ii–V–I in A major: Bm7 – E7 – Amaj7 A cadence that is extremely common in jazz.

Transpose Amaj7

Move the chord up or down by semitones to see its name and notes in another key.

Amaj7 A C♯ E G♯ original

Major 7th chords on every root: Emaj7 Fmaj7 F♯maj7 Gmaj7 A♭maj7Amaj7 B♭maj7 Bmaj7 Cmaj7 C♯maj7 Dmaj7 E♭maj7

Frequently asked questions

What is Amaj7/C chord?

Amaj7/C means Amaj7 with C added as the lowest note. C is not one of Amaj7's notes, so the chord has 5 different notes: C in the bass, then A, C♯, E and G♯.

What notes are in the Amaj7 chord?

Amaj7 has 4 notes: A, C♯, E and G♯. Its formula is 1 – 3 – 5 – 7: A is the root, C♯ a major 3rd, E a perfect 5th and G♯ a major 7th above it.

How do you play Amaj7 on guitar?

The shape in the main diagram is x02120 (open position).

  1. Put your middle finger (2) on the 2nd fret of the D (4th) string.
  2. Put your index finger (1) on the 1st fret of the G (3rd) string.
  3. Put your ring finger (3) on the 2nd fret of the B (2nd) string.
  4. Let the A (5th) and high E (1st) strings ring open (marked O).
  5. Don't play the low E (6th) string (marked X).
  6. Strum from the A (5th) string down (5 strings).
What key is Amaj7 in?

Amaj7 is Imaj7 in A major, IIImaj7 in F♯ minor, IVmaj7 in E major and VImaj7 in C♯ minor. The other 7th chords of A major are Bm7, C♯m7, Dmaj7, E7, F♯m7 and G♯m7♭5.

Is there an easy way to play Amaj7?

Amaj7 is already one of the easier chords. The easiest shape is x02120 (open position).

What is a major 7th chord?

A major 7th chord is a major chord plus a major 7th (1–3–5–7). It is written maj7, M7 or Δ7. In a major key, the I and IV chords are major 7ths.

More chords

Related guitar chords: Dmaj7 Cmaj7 Gmaj7 Am7 A A5 Emaj7 Adim

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