Cmaj7 Piano Chord
A chord of Cmaj7 on Piano
The C Major Seventh piano chord is often abbreviated to just “Cmaj7”, and is a four-note chord made up of C, E, G, and B. It has a warm, jazzy sound to it, and will often be followed by chords such as Fmaj7 or Gmaj9.
Playing Cmaj7 with two hands
The diagram below shows the best way of playing a chord of Cmaj7 with both the left and right hands. Use your left hand to play two C notes, an octave apart. Your right hand then plays a triad formed of E, G, and B.
An alternative way to play Cmaj7
A common variation for playing Cmaj7 on the piano is to move the E note from the bottom of the right hand to the top. For example:
In fact, it doesn’t really matter what order the notes are in your right hand, just as long as all the notes required to play Cmaj7 are present. Try experimenting with different variations, and get comfortable moving from one to the other.
How to Build Major Seventh Chords
Seventh chords are built using the first, third, and fifth notes of a major scale, with an additional note added on top. This additional note is the seventh note of the major scale.
To create a major seventh chord on the piano, start by building a major chord using the root, third, and fifth notes of the corresponding major scale. Then, add the seventh note of the same scale to form the major seventh chord.
Keep in mind that the major seventh chord is just one type of chord and there are many others you can explore as you continue to learn and play the piano. With practice and dedication, you can master this and other chords to create beautiful music.
Free Piano Chords Chart
Learn to play all the most popular piano chords with our free, printable Piano Chords Chart PDF!
This chart features all the chords pianists need to know in order to master all the basic chords and start playing amazing music in any genre.
Download free piano chord chart
Learning to Play Other C Chords
There are many different C chords for you to explore, all which create different sounds and different moods.
With practice, even beginners can learn to play all of these chords and more, unlocking a world of musical possibilities on the piano.
| Chord name | Required notes |
|---|---|
| Caug7 Piano Chord | C E Ab Bb |
| Cdim7 Piano Chord | C Eb Gb A |
| Csus4 Piano Chord | C F G |
| Cmaj9 Piano Chord | C E G B D |
| Cm9 Piano Chord | C Eb G Bb D |
| C9 Piano Chord | C E G Bb D |
| C5 Piano Chord | C G |
| Cm6 Piano Chord | C Eb G A |
| CmM7 Piano Chord | C Eb G B |
| Cm7 Piano Chord | C Eb G Bb |
| C Minor Piano Chord | C Eb G |
| C6 Piano Chord | C E G A |
| C Major Piano Chord | C E G |
| Csus2 Piano Chord | C D G |
| C7 Piano Chord | C E G Bb |
What are piano chords?
A piano chord is formed when two or more notes are played on a piano or keyboard at the same time. Click here to read our complete guide to learning how to play chords on piano now!