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A minor major 7th chord on guitar (AmMaj7)
Also called or written AmMaj7, Aminmaj7, Ammaj7, AmM7, A Minor Sharp 7 or A Minor ♯7
A minor major 7th is built from A, C, E, and G♯. The open voicing keeps the G♯ on the G string, creating a close, tense interval against the open E.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7
- Root positionA–C–E–G♯AmMaj7×-0-2-1-1-0
- First inversionC–E–G♯–AAmMaj7/C8-7-7-9-9-×
- Second inversionE–G♯–A–CAmMaj7/E0-0-2-1-1-0
- Third inversionG♯–A–C–EAmMaj7/G♯4-3-2-2-×-×
How do you play an A minor major 7th chord on guitar?
A minor major 7th is played in open position as × 0 2 1 1 0: ring finger on the D string at fret 2, index finger on the G string at fret 1 and middle finger on the B string at fret 1. The A and high e strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (1) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 3 | E (5) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 | G♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (5) |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires precise finger placement to avoid muting the open high E while fretting the adjacent G and B strings.
5th fret
A minor major 7th is played at the 5th fret as 5 7 6 5 5 5: barre your index finger across fret 5, pinky finger on the A string at fret 7 and ring finger on the D string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 1 (barre) | A (1) |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 4 | E (5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 3 | G♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 1 (barre) | C (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 1 (barre) | E (5) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 1 (barre) | A (1) |
7th fret
A minor major 7th is played at the 7th fret as × × 7 9 9 8: index finger on the D string at fret 7, ring finger on the G string at fret 9, pinky finger on the B string at fret 9 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 8. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 | A (1) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 3 | E (5) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 4 | G♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 2 | C (♭3) |
12th fret
A minor major 7th is played at the 12th fret as × 12 14 13 13 12: barre your index finger across fret 12, pinky finger on the D string at fret 14, middle finger on the G string at fret 13 and ring finger on the B string at fret 13. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 1 (barre) | A (1) |
| 4 (D) | 14 | 4 | E (5) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 2 | G♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 3 | C (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 1 (barre) | E (5) |
Aminmaj7/C inversion
A minor major 7th is played at the 7th fret as 8 7 7 9 9 ×: barre your index finger across fret 7, middle finger on the low E string at fret 8, ring finger on the G string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 9. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 2 | C (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 1 (barre) | E (5) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (1) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 3 | E (5) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 4 | G♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
A minor major 7th stacks a minor triad (1, ♭3, 5) with a major seventh (7), giving the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7. The major seventh interval is what gives this chord its unresolved, yearning quality. Compare it to A minor, which stops at the fifth and lacks that leading-tone pull.
What goes wrong with A minor major 7th?
- Letting the low E string ring, which adds an unwanted bass note.
- Flattening the index finger onto the B string, deadening it.
- Pressing the middle finger against the high E, stopping it from ringing.
When to use it
A minor major 7th works as a tonic in A minor, often moving to A minor or A suspended 4th. It suits noir jazz, film-score tension, and minor-key ballads.
Changing to and from A minor major 7th
- Move to A minor by lifting the index finger from the G string, leaving the other fingers in place.
Which voicing to use
The open position is the easiest and has the root A in the bass. The 5th fret barre voicing gives a fuller sound with the root on the low E string. The 7th fret voicing omits the low strings for a tighter, higher-register color.
Other A chords
Common questions
How is A minor major 7th written?
A minor major 7th is written Ammaj7, Aminmaj7, or AmM7. The symbol mmaj7 is also used.
Why does the open voicing mute the low E string?
The low E is a chord tone, but muting it keeps the bass note as A, preserving the root position. Letting it ring would create a second-inversion sound with E in the bass.
How does A minor major 7th differ from A minor 7th?
A minor 7th has a minor seventh (G) while A minor major 7th has a major seventh (G♯). The major seventh creates a sharper, more dissonant pull toward the root.
What scale does A minor major 7th come from?
A minor major 7th appears in A harmonic minor and A melodic minor scales. The raised seventh degree of those scales is the G♯ in this chord.