Which notes are in the Gmaj7 chord?

Gmaj7 contains the notes G, B, D and F#. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 3 – 5 – 7.

How many ways can you play Gmaj7?

Minory lists 4 guitar fingerings for Gmaj7, 3 of which are barre shapes. They all produce the same chord — what changes is the voicing and where it sits on the neck.

Is the Gmaj7 chord hard to play?

Gmaj7 requires a barre, so it can feel demanding at first. Keeping the index finger straight and pressing from the wrist rather than the thumb makes it noticeably easier.

G major 7th · Guitar

Gmaj7 Chord on Guitar

The Gmaj7 chord (G major 7th) is built from the notes G, B, D and F#. 4 different guitar fingerings for it are shown below.

Chord diagrams

Position 1starts at fret 2

Fingering

string 6 (E): muted
string 5 (A): muted
string 4 (D): fret 5 — little finger
string 3 (G): fret 4 — ring finger
string 2 (B): fret 3 — middle finger
string 1 (E): fret 2 — index finger

Position 2barre shape · starts at fret 3

Fingering

string 6 (E): fret 3 — index finger
string 5 (A): fret 5 — little finger
string 4 (D): fret 4 — middle finger
string 3 (G): fret 4 — ring finger
string 2 (B): fret 3 — index finger
string 1 (E): fret 3 — index finger

Position 3barre shape · starts at fret 7

Fingering

string 6 (E): muted
string 5 (A): fret 10 — little finger
string 4 (D): fret 9 — ring finger
string 3 (G): fret 7 — index finger
string 2 (B): fret 7 — index finger
string 1 (E): fret 7 — index finger

Position 4barre shape · starts at fret 10

Fingering

string 6 (E): muted
string 5 (A): fret 10 — index finger
string 4 (D): fret 12 — ring finger
string 3 (G): fret 11 — middle finger
string 2 (B): fret 12 — little finger
string 1 (E): fret 10 — index finger

Notes in this chord

G
B
D
F♯

Degrees: 1 – 3 – 5 – 7

How to play

Every guitar shape for Gmaj7 needs a barre, and the lowest one starts at fret 2. Keep the index finger straight and as close to the fret wire as possible, and let the wrist rather than the thumb supply the pressure.

Theory behind the chord

Major seventh chords keep the bright major triad but add the leading tone a semitone below the root. The result is the soft, floating sound heard throughout bossa nova, soul and neo-soul. On Gmaj7 this structure sits on the root G, so the degrees 1 – 3 – 5 – 7 map onto G, B, D and F#.

Frequently asked questions

Which notes are in the Gmaj7 chord?: Gmaj7 contains the notes G, B, D and F#. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 3 – 5 – 7.
How many ways can you play Gmaj7?: Minory lists 4 guitar fingerings for Gmaj7, 3 of which are barre shapes. They all produce the same chord — what changes is the voicing and where it sits on the neck.
Is the Gmaj7 chord hard to play?: Gmaj7 requires a barre, so it can feel demanding at first. Keeping the index finger straight and pressing from the wrist rather than the thumb makes it noticeably easier.

Practise Gmaj7 on your phone

Minory bundles the full chord library with a tuner, metronome and repertoire notebook — and it all works offline.