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C Major 7th Chord
The C Major 7th Chord is C, E, G, and B, all white keys. The B sits just a half step below the next C, which gives the chord its soft, open quality. Because every note is a white key, the hand can lie fairly flat, and the challenge is mostly balance: letting the B sound clearly without it becoming harsh.
How to play the C Major 7th Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the C 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 C Major 7th Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the C major 7th chord are stacked in thirds with C on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| C Major 7th Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | C E G B |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Cmaj7 |
The C Major 7th Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (E) becomes the bottom note, and the root (C) jumps up to the top.
| C Major 7th Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | E G B C |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 4 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Cmaj6/5 or Cmaj7/E |
The C Major 7th Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (G) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (E) goes to the top.
| C Major 7th Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | G B C E |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Cmaj4/3 or Cmaj7/G |
The C Major 7th Chord in third inversion
In third inversion, the seventh of the chord (B) is on the bottom, and the fifth of the chord (G) goes to the top.
| C Major 7th Chord in 3rd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | B C E G |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 4 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Cmaj4/2 or Cmaj7/B |
C 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 C major 7th chord is the tonic (Imaj7) in C major and the subdominant (IVmaj7) in G major. In minor keys, it is the mediant (IIImaj7) in A minor and the submediant (VImaj7) in E minor.
The cadence to recognize is ii7 – V7 – I. In C major that is Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7, 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 C and then Cmaj7 and listen to what the added note does.
Other chords built on C
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