Tools / Chords / G major 7th

G major 7th chord on guitar (Gmaj7)

Also written Gmaj7 or GM7

G major 7th contains G, B, D, and F♯. The open position requires a wide stretch and precise finger independence.

Open · 3-2-0-0-0-23-2-0-0-0-2

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

G1Root

B3Major 3rd

D5Perfect 5th

F♯7Major 7th

Formula 1, 3, 5, 7

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionG–B–D–F♯Gmaj7Bass G

First inversionB–D–F♯–GGmaj7/BBass B

Second inversionD–F♯–G–BGmaj7/DBass D

Third inversionF♯–G–B–DGmaj7/F♯Bass F♯

Why it sounds like that

G major 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 7. The major 7th interval from G to F♯ gives the chord its bright, shimmering quality. Compare it to G major, which omits the F♯.

What goes wrong with G major 7th?

The ring finger touches the A string, muting it.
The middle finger touches the B string, deadening the open note.
The index finger collapses onto the D string, muting it.

When to use it

G major 7th is the tonic in G major. Use it in progressions like G–C–D–G, the I–IV–V–I, or G–D–Em–C, the I–V–vi–IV. It suits folk, country, and pop rock.

Changing to and from G major 7th

From G major 7th to F major 7th: slide the whole shape down two frets, keeping the same finger pattern.
From G major 7th to A major 7th: slide the whole shape up two frets, keeping the same finger pattern.

Which voicing to use

The open position is the most common, but the 3rd fret barre gives a warmer tone with the root on the low E string. The 5th fret shape is a compact voicing without the low strings. The 10th fret barre offers a higher register with the root on the A string.

How do you play a G major 7th chord on guitar?

Open · 3-2-0-0-0-2

Beginner● On the diagram

G major 7th is played in open position as 3 2 0 0 0 2: ring finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 2 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 2. The D, G and B strings ring open.

Tip — The open position requires a wide stretch between the ring and index fingers while keeping three open strings clean.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	3	3	G (1)
5 (A)	2	1	B (3)
4 (D)	open	—	D (5)
3 (G)	open	—	G (1)
2 (B)	open	—	B (3)
1 (e)	2	2	F♯ (7)

Open · 3-2-0-0-3-2

Beginner

G major 7th is played in open position as 3 2 0 0 3 2: ring finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 2, pinky finger on the B string at fret 3 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 2. The D and G strings ring open.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	3	3	G (1)
5 (A)	2	1	B (3)
4 (D)	open	—	D (5)
3 (G)	open	—	G (1)
2 (B)	3	4	D (5)
1 (e)	2	2	F♯ (7)

3rd fret

Barre

G major 7th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 5 4 4 3 3: barre your index finger across fret 3, pinky finger on the A string at fret 5, middle finger on the D string at fret 4 and ring finger on the G string at fret 4.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	3	1 (barre)	G (1)
5 (A)	5	4	D (5)
4 (D)	4	2	F♯ (7)
3 (G)	4	3	B (3)
2 (B)	3	1 (barre)	D (5)
1 (e)	3	1 (barre)	G (1)

5th fret

Intermediate

G major 7th is played at the 5th fret as × × 5 7 7 7: index finger on the D string at fret 5, middle finger on the G string at fret 7, ring finger on the B string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 7. The low E and A strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	muted	—	—
4 (D)	5	1	G (1)
3 (G)	7	2	D (5)
2 (B)	7	3	F♯ (7)
1 (e)	7	4	B (3)

10th fret

Barre

G major 7th is played at the 10th fret as × 10 12 11 12 10: barre your index finger across fret 10, ring finger on the D string at fret 12, middle finger on the G string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 12. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	10	1 (barre)	G (1)
4 (D)	12	3	D (5)
3 (G)	11	2	F♯ (7)
2 (B)	12	4	B (3)
1 (e)	10	1 (barre)	D (5)

Common questions

How is G major 7th written?

G major 7th is written as GM7 or Gmaj7. No enharmonic spelling is needed.

What is the difference between G major 7th and G dominant 7th?

G major 7th has a major 7th interval (F♯), while G dominant 7th has a minor 7th (F). The major 7th sounds more resolved and less bluesy.

Why does the open G major 7th shape include the low E string?

The low E string is fretted at the 3rd fret to play the note G, which is the root. This gives the chord a full, rich bass.

Can G major 7th be played as a barre chord?

Yes, the 3rd fret position is a barre chord with the root on the low E string. It is movable and useful for higher voicings.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

G (1)

5 (A)

B (3)

4 (D)

open

—

D (5)

3 (G)

open

—

G (1)

2 (B)

open

—

B (3)

1 (e)

F♯ (7)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

G (1)

5 (A)

B (3)

4 (D)

open

—

D (5)

3 (G)

open

—

G (1)

2 (B)

D (5)

1 (e)

F♯ (7)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

G (1)

5 (A)

D (5)

4 (D)

F♯ (7)

3 (G)

B (3)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

D (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

G (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

muted

—

4 (D)

G (1)

3 (G)

D (5)

2 (B)

F♯ (7)

1 (e)

B (3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

1 (barre)

G (1)

4 (D)

D (5)

3 (G)

F♯ (7)

2 (B)

B (3)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

D (5)