E major 7th chord
- Emi
- G#sol#
- Bti
- D#re#
Emaj7 chord notes
E major 7th adds a major seventh to the major chord, one semitone below the root's octave. It softens the bright chord into a dreamy, open sound, common in ballads and jazz, and charts write it as Emaj7.
| Note | Interval from the root | Semitones |
|---|---|---|
| Emi | Root1 | 0 |
| G#sol# | Major third3 | 4 |
| Bti | Perfect fifth5 | 7 |
| D#re# | Major seventh7 | 11 |
Emaj7 chord inversions
An inversion plays the same notes with a different one at the bottom. Using Emaj7's inversions keeps your hand close to the next chord, so you move less between chords.
Root position
E, G#, B, D#
- Right hand
- 1-2-3-5
- Left hand
- 5-3-2-1
First inversion
G#, B, D#, E
- Right hand
- 1-2-4-5
- Left hand
- 5-3-2-1
Second inversion
B, D#, E, G#
- Right hand
- 1-2-3-5
- Left hand
- 5-3-2-1
Third inversion
D#, E, G#, B
- Right hand
- 1-2-3-5
- Left hand
- 5-4-2-1
Keys that use Emaj7
In these major keys Emaj7 is one of the key's own chords. The numeral beside each key is its place in that key, as chord charts write it.
- E majorImaj7
- B majorIVmaj7
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What notes are in the Emaj7 chord?
E major 7th (Emaj7) is E, G#, B, D#. In solfège that's mi, sol#, ti, re#.
Which fingers play Emaj7?
In root position, the right hand plays 1-2-3-5 and the left hand 5-3-2-1, counting from the lowest note. The thumb is 1 and the little finger is 5.
How do I tell Emaj7 from the plain major chord?
Listen for the top note sitting a semitone under the root. That close rub is what makes Emaj7 sound softer and more open than the major triad.