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G augmented major 7th chord on guitar (GaugMaj7)
Also called or written GaugMaj7, GaugM7, G+M7, GM7#5, Gmaj+7, G augmented major seventh or G major seventh sharp five
G augmented major 7th contains G, B, D♯, and F♯. The open G and B strings ring between fretted notes on the low E, A, D, and high e strings, creating a wide stretch.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, 7
- Root positionG–B–D♯–F♯GaugMaj73-2-1-0-0-2
- First inversionB–D♯–F♯–GGaugMaj7/B×-2-1-0-0-2
- Second inversionD♯–F♯–G–BGaugMaj7/D♯×-×-1-0-0-2
- Third inversionF♯–G–B–D♯GaugMaj7/F♯2-2-1-0-0-2
How do you play a G augmented major 7th chord on guitar?
G augmented major 7th is played in open position as 3 2 1 0 0 2: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 3, middle finger on the A string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2. The G and B strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 4 | G (1) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 2 | B (3) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | D♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (1) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | B (3) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 3 | F♯ (7) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach the 3rd fret on the low E string while the index finger holds the 1st fret on the D string, creating a wide stretch.
GaugM7/B inversion · open position
G augmented major 7th is played in open position as × 2 1 0 0 2: middle finger on the A string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2. The G and B strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 2 | B (3) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | D♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (1) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | B (3) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 3 | F♯ (7) |
GaugM7/B inversion · fret 12
G augmented major 7th is played at the 12th fret as × 14 13 12 12 14: barre your index finger across fret 12, ring finger on the A string at fret 14, middle finger on the D string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 14. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 14 | 3 | B (3) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 2 | D♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 1 (barre) | G (1) |
| 2 (B) | 12 | 1 (barre) | B (3) |
| 1 (e) | 14 | 4 | F♯ (7) |
GaugM7/D♯ inversion · open position
G augmented major 7th is played in open position as × × 1 0 0 2: index finger on the D string at fret 1 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 2. The G and B strings ring open. 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) | 1 | 1 | D♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (1) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | B (3) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (7) |
GaugM7/D♯ inversion · fret 9
G augmented major 7th is played at the 9th fret as 11 10 9 11 × ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 11, middle finger on the A string at fret 10, index finger on the D string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 11. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 3 | D♯ (♯5) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 2 | G (1) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 | B (3) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 4 | F♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
G augmented major 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, ♯5, 7. The augmented 5th, D♯, is what separates it from the G major 7th, where the 5th is D natural. The major 3rd and major 7th remain unchanged.
What goes wrong with G augmented major 7th?
- Letting the low E string buzz because the pinky is not pressing hard enough.
- Fretting the high e string with the middle finger instead of the ring finger, causing the note to go flat.
- Allowing the ring finger to touch the B string, muting the open string.
When to use it
G augmented major 7th works as a substitute for G major 7th when the melody moves to the ♯5. It fits jazz ballads and passages that need a brighter, more restless major sound.
Changing to and from G augmented major 7th
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 10th fret gives F augmented major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps G in the bass and is the default. The B inversion starting on the 1st fret puts the major 3rd in the bass and gives a tighter, higher register.
Other G chords
Common questions
How is G augmented major 7th written?
G augmented major 7th is written G+M7, M7#5, maj+7, or GaugM7.
What is the difference between G augmented major 7th and G augmented?
G augmented major 7th adds the major 7th, F♯, to the G augmented triad G–B–D♯. The 7th creates a leading tone back to G major.
Why does the open B string ring?
The open B string rings because B is the major 3rd of G augmented major 7th. It is a chord tone and is included in this voicing.