GMaj7 Chord - Learn to Play on Guitar & Piano Keyboard

This article on the GMaj7 chord covers its music theory, associated scales, note patterns on the fretboard, open, movable, and barre patterns, piano note layouts, inversions, fingering, etc.

Read the complete article below to learn all about playing the GMaj7 chord!

Music Theory, Notes & Intervals of the GMaj7 Chord

The main aspects of the GMaj7 chord music theory are:

It is formed by stacking a major third interval over the G major triad, G, B, and D.
It has notes G, B, D, and F#. The interval between D and F# is a Major 3rd.
The three intervals of the chord are R – M3 – m3 – M3.
The intervals of the notes from the root note are R – M3 – P5 – M7.

G Major Seventh Chord Scales

The GMaj7 chord is formed naturally in the following scales.

D Major scale and all its modes.
G Major scale and all its modes.
B Harmonic Minor and all its modes.
G Harmonic Major and all its modes

How To Play the G Major 7 chord.

In the upcoming sections, you will see how to play the Gmaj7 guitar chord and piano chords.

GMaj7 Guitar Chord – Map Chord Tones Along The Fretboard

The four notes of the Gmaj7 guitar chord [G B D F#] are shown on the keyboard up to an octave so that you can visualize their layout and the various options available to you to play these chords.

G Major Seventh Guitar Chord – Shapes and Fingerings

You can play the G Major 7th chord in many positions. The chord diagrams below show all these options and are organized based on the open, movable, and barre chord shapes.

The black circles on top of the diagrams indicate the fret numbers, while the red circles show the finger positions. The strings marked ‘X’ are to be muted or skipped. While those marked ‘O’ are to be played open.

Here

1 – Index Finger,
2 – Middle Finger,
3 – Ring finger,
4 – Little Finger.

Open Positions

The eight open positions of the Gmaj7 chord are described below.

O1 – Construction – (x – x – 0 – 0 – 0 – 2). Notes – (5, 1, 3, and 7). D is the Bass note.
O2 – Construction – (3 – x – 0 – 0 – 0 – 2). Notes – (1, 5, 1, 3, and 7).
O3 – Construction – (x – 2 – x – 0 – 3 – 2). Notes – (3, 1, 5, and 7). B is the Bass note.
O4 – Construction – (x – 2 – 0 – 0 – 3 – 2). Notes – (3, 5, 1, 5, and 7). B is the Bass note.
O5 – Construction – (2 – 2 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 2). Notes – (7, 3, 5, 1, 5, and 7). F# is the Bass note.
O6 – Construction – (3 – 2 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 2). Notes – (1, 3, 5, 1, 3, and 7).
O7 – Construction – (3 – 2 – 4 – 0 – 0 – 2). Notes – (1, 3, 7, 1, 3, and 7). 5th is omitted.
O8 – Construction – (x – 5 – 4 – 0 – 0 – 3). Notes – (5, 7, 1, 3, and 1). D is the Bass note.

Movable Guitar Chords Positions

The six movable positions are described below:

M1 – Construction – (3 – x – 4 – 4 – 3 – x). Notes – (1, 7, 3, and 5).
M2 – Construction – (x – x – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2). Notes – (1, 3, 5, and 7).
M3 – Construction – (7 – x – 5 – 7 – 7 – x). Notes – (3, 1, 5, and 7). B is the Bass note.
M4 – Construction – (x – x – 9 – 11 – 8 – 10). Notes – (3, 7, 1, and 5). B is the Bass note.
M5 – Construction – (10 – x – 9 – 11 – 8 – x). Notes – (5, 3, 7, and 1). D is the Bass note.
M6 – Construction – (x – 10 – 12 – 11 – 12 – x). Notes – (1, 5, 7, and 3).