Cmaj7 chord on piano
Cmaj7 is C, E, G and B. You'll find C just left of the pair of black keys (a white key). Tap Play, then slow it down.
root position · C–E–G–B · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- C · E · G · B
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 7
How to play Cmaj7 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from C: 4 half steps up to E, 3 half steps up to G then 4 half steps up to B. Press the 4 keys together and that's Cmaj7.
- Right hand: 1 on C, 2 on E, 3 on G and 5 on B.
- Left hand: 5 on C, 3 on E, 2 on G and 1 on B.
- On the keyboard it's white, white, white and white keys, the same pattern as Fmaj7, so your hand shape carries over.
Cmaj7 inversions
- root position: C–E–G–B. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: E–G–B–C, E lowest. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: G–B–C–E, G lowest. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: B–C–E–G (B in the bass). Right hand 1-2-3-5.
Use the inversions to stay put: the next chord is often one inversion away from where your hand already is, as the changes below show.
Changing from Cmaj7 to the chords around it
These are the changes you'll meet most often with Cmaj7, using the first shape of each chord.
- Fmaj7 (IV in C major): Cmaj7 to Fmaj7: play Fmaj7 in 2nd inversion (C–E–F–A) and C and E stay under the same fingers, while G moves down to F and B down to A. Fmaj7 on piano
- G7 (V in C major): Cmaj7 to G7: play G7 in 2nd inversion (D–F–G–B) and G and B stay under the same fingers, while C moves up to D and E up to F. G7 on piano
- Am7 (vi in C major): Cmaj7 to Am7: play Am7 in 1st inversion (C–E–G–A) and C, E and G stay under the same fingers, while B moves down to A. Am7 on piano
Cmaj7 is a major seventh chord: a major triad with the note a half step below the octave added. Cmaj7 works as a relaxed home chord; swap it in for plain C at the end of a phrase. The one-by-one button above makes that quality easy to hear.
A short Cmaj7 drill
Start with a broken chord, C E G B G E C, then play it solid. Finish with the inversions in order: C–E–G–B; E–G–B–C; G–B–C–E; B–C–E–G.
The keys of Cmaj7
Cmaj7 is a major seventh chord, 1–3–5–7 from C. Root position, from the bottom: how Cmaj7 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| E | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| G | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| B | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | major seventh |
Keys and progressions with Cmaj7
In C major, ii–V–I on piano is Dm7 (D–F–A–C), G7 (G–B–D–F) and Cmaj7 (C–E–G–B). About the jazz cadence.
Cmaj7 on guitar and ukulele
Cmaj7 on guitar and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Next to try on piano
Other major seventh chords
Cmaj7 on piano: questions
What notes are in Cmaj7 on piano?
C, E, G and B: C (white key), E (white key), G (white key) and B (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play Cmaj7 on piano?
Press C, E, G and B together, all white keys. Right hand: 1 on C, 2 on E, 3 on G and 5 on B.
What are the inversions of Cmaj7?
1st inversion (E–G–B–C), 2nd inversion (G–B–C–E) and 3rd inversion (B–C–E–G), after root position (C–E–G–B). Same notes, a different one at the bottom.
What does Cmaj7 look like on the keyboard?
white, white, white and white keys, the same pattern as Fmaj7, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside Cmaj7. Updated September 2026.