Amaj7 Chord

The Amaj7 chord is a major seventh chord built on the root note A. Its notes are A, C♯, E and G♯.

Major seventh chords are lush, open and slightly jazzy. Stacking a major third on top of a major triad gives them a dreamy colour often heard in bossa nova, soul and modern R&B.

Amaj7 on piano

Piano diagram of the Amaj7 chordEAEAC♯G♯C♯G♯Amaj7 — A · C♯ · E · G♯

To play Amaj7 on piano, place your right-hand thumb on A, middle finger on C♯, and little finger on E. Press all keys at the same time and listen for a clear, balanced sound. Practice switching to and from this chord slowly, then with a metronome at a comfortable tempo.

Amaj7 on guitar

Guitar chord diagram of the Amaj7 chordAmaj7

On guitar, Amaj7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. If the chord contains barred notes, keep your index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the other fingers so they do not mute the open strings. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram for the cleanest tone.

Play the chord

Amaj7
A · C♯ · E · G♯

Amaj7 chord notes

Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · 7Notes: A · C♯ · E · G♯
DegreeIntervalSemitonesNote
1Root0A
3Major third4C♯(C#)
5Perfect fifth7E
7Major seventh11G♯(G#)

How to use the Amaj7 chord

The Amaj7 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth and a major seventh. Starting from the root A, stack the intervals to get the complete chord: A, C♯, E and G♯. Learning the formula is the fastest way to transpose the chord to any other key.

Major seventh chords colour jazz standards, bossa nova, soul and modern pop. They most often serve as Imaj7 or IVmaj7 in a major key to add warmth without changing the function.

Common progressions

The Amaj7 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.

Pop progression
I → V → vi → IV
AEF♯mD
Classic I-IV-V
I → IV → V → I
ADEA
50s progression
I → vi → IV → V
AF♯mDE

Related chords to Amaj7

Once you are comfortable with Amaj7, explore neighbouring chords to unlock new progressions. The chords below share notes, keys or functions with Amaj7 and are a natural next step in your practice.

Cmaj7
C · E · G · B
C♯maj7
C♯ · F · G♯ · C
Dmaj7
D · F♯ · A · C♯
E♭maj7
E♭ · G · B♭ · D
A Major
A · C♯ · E
A Minor
A · C · E
A7
A · C♯ · E · G
Am7
A · C · E · G
Emaj7
E · G♯ · B · D♯

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Amaj7 chord?
The Amaj7 chord contains A, C♯, E and G♯ (A, C#, E and G# in plain text).
Is the Amaj7 chord major or minor?
Amaj7 is a major seventh chord. Major seventh chords are lush, open and slightly jazzy. Stacking a major third on top of a major triad gives them a dreamy colour often heard in bossa nova, soul and modern R&B.
How do you play Amaj7 on piano?
Place your fingers on A, C♯, E and G♯ and play the notes together. On piano, the root is usually played with the little finger of the left hand and the upper notes with the right hand.
How do you play Amaj7 on guitar?
Amaj7 is typically played using the fingering shown in the interactive diagram above. You can also try an open position if one of the chord tones lines up with an open string.
What chords work well with Amaj7?
Amaj7 pairs naturally with the chords listed in the related chords section. Chords a perfect fifth up or down, relative major or minor chords, and chords sharing two notes are all strong choices.

Keep exploring

Deepen your understanding of the Amaj7 chord with our other music theory tools.

Browse all chordsTry the PianoOpen Circle of Fifths