As a harmonic-minor tonicA minor
The raised seventh inside the tonic is what lets E7 work as a real dominant in a minor key.
Am(maj7) Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Am(maj7) chord is a minor major seventh chord built on the root note A. Its notes are A, C, E and G♯.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Minor major seventh chords are unsettling in a beautiful way. A major seventh over a minor triad creates a sharp, unresolved edge best known from spy themes, Hitchcock scores and the darker corners of jazz.
- Notes
- A · C · E · G♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 11
- Note
- A
- Quality
- Minor Major 7
- Symbol
- Am(maj7)
Am(maj7) on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Am(maj7) on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on A, index finger on C, middle finger on E and little finger on G♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯ is a black key and A, C and E are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A1
- C♭3
- E5
- G♯7
Am(maj7) on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Am(maj7) is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strings 5 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
A · C · E · G♯
Play Am(maj7) on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
Am(maj7) chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | C | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | E | |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | G♯(G#) |
How to use the Am(maj7) chord
The Am(maj7) chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major seventh. Start at the root A and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: A, C, E and G♯. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor major seventh chords appear in line cliches, where the top voice of a minor chord walks down from the root through the major seventh. James Bond themes, bossa nova and minor-key jazz ballads are where you meet them.
How Am(maj7) differs from similar chords
Am(maj7) combines the minor third of Am with the major seventh of Amaj7. Its seventh sits a half step higher than in Am7, right under the root, and that is where its tense, cinematic edge comes from. It usually passes by in a line cliché between Am and Am7.
Where Am(maj7) is used
A minor chord works as the tonic of its own key, and as the vi or the ii of a major one. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the Am(maj7) chord?
- The Am(maj7) chord contains A, C, E and G♯ (A, C, E and G# in plain text).
- Is the Am(maj7) chord major or minor?
- Am(maj7) is a minor major seventh chord. Minor major seventh chords are unsettling in a beautiful way. A major seventh over a minor triad creates a sharp, unresolved edge best known from spy themes, Hitchcock scores and the darker corners of jazz.
- How do you play Am(maj7) on piano?
- Place your fingers on A, C, E and G♯ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard G♯ is a black key and A, C and E are white.
- How do you play Am(maj7) on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strings 5 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
- What chords work well with Am(maj7)?
- Am(maj7) pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.