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A Major 7th Chord
The A Major 7th Chord is A, C-sharp, E, and G-sharp: white, black, white, black. The alternating keys give the hand a balanced shape, and the G-sharp on top, just a half step below the next A, gives the chord its soft, open quality.
How to play the A Major 7th Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the A 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 A Major 7th Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the A major 7th chord are stacked in thirds with A on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| A Major 7th Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | A C♯ E G♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Amaj7 |
The A Major 7th Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (C♯) becomes the bottom note, and the root (A) jumps up to the top.
| A Major 7th Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | C♯ E G♯ A |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 4 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Amaj6/5 or Amaj7/C♯ |
The A Major 7th Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (E) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (C♯) goes to the top.
| A Major 7th Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | E G♯ A C♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Amaj4/3 or Amaj7/E |
The A Major 7th Chord in third inversion
In third inversion, the seventh of the chord (G♯) is on the bottom, and the fifth of the chord (E) goes to the top.
| A Major 7th Chord in 3rd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | G♯ A C♯ E |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 4 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Amaj4/2 or Amaj7/G♯ |
A 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 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 Bm7 – E7 – Amaj7, 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 Amaj7 and listen to what the added note does.
Other chords built on A
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