G-sharp Major 7th Chord

How to play the G-sharp Major 7th Chord on the piano

Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the G-sharp Major 7th Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.

The G-sharp Major 7th Chord in root position

In root position, the notes of the G♯ major 7th chord are stacked in thirds with G♯ on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.

G-sharp Major 7th Chord in root position
Note Order	G♯ B♯ D♯ F𝄪
Left Hand Fingering	5 3 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 3 5
Chord Symbol	G♯maj7

The G-sharp Major 7th Chord in first inversion

In first inversion, the third of the chord (B♯) becomes the bottom note, and the root (G♯) jumps up to the top.

G-sharp Major 7th Chord in 1^st inversion
Note Order	B♯ D♯ F𝄪 G♯
Left Hand Fingering	5 3 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 4 5
Chord Symbol	G♯maj^6/5 or G♯maj7/B♯

The G-sharp Major 7th Chord in second inversion

In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (D♯) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (B♯) goes to the top.

G-sharp Major 7th Chord in 2^nd inversion
Note Order	D♯ F𝄪 G♯ B♯
Left Hand Fingering	5 3 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 3 5
Chord Symbol	G♯maj^4/3 or G♯maj7/D♯

The G-sharp Major 7th Chord in third inversion

In third inversion, the seventh of the chord (F𝄪) is on the bottom, and the fifth of the chord (D♯) goes to the top.

G-sharp Major 7th Chord in 3^rd inversion
Note Order	F𝄪 G♯ B♯ D♯
Left Hand Fingering	5 4 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 3 5
Chord Symbol	G♯maj^4/2 or G♯maj7/F𝄪

G-sharp Major 7th Chord theory and function

The major 7th adds the note a half step below the octave, which gives the chord a soft, open sound with a little friction in it. In Baroque and Classical music it appears as a passing seventh inside a sequence, and in Romantic and Impressionist music it is used as a color chord on the tonic and the subdominant.

The common keys that use this chord are flat keys, so it is usually written as A♭ major 7th, and the spelling follows the key. The A♭ major 7th chord is the tonic (Imaj7) in A♭ major and the subdominant (IVmaj7) in E♭ major. In minor keys, it is the mediant (IIImaj7) in F minor and the submediant (VImaj7) in C minor.

The cadence to recognize is ii7 – V7 – I. In A♭ major that is B♭m7 – E♭7 – A♭maj7, where the tonic is colored with its seventh. In a sequence the seventh leans down by step into the next chord, and in a color chord it is left hanging for a moment before the music moves on. Try playing A♭ and then A♭maj7 and listen to what the added note does.