Emaj7

Emaj7 is E, G#, B and D#, a major seventh. The shape this page opens on is written 021100, lowest string first.

Note by note. E is the root, G# is the major third, B is the fifth and D# is the major seventh.

Also written EM7, EΔ7, EΔ, Ema7 or E major 7. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Emaj7 on the guitar, and 29 derived voicings in 3 families.

One note away. Change a single note of Emaj7 and you have E (with one note taken away), Emaj7b5 (with one note moved), Emaj7#5 (with one note moved), Emaj9 (with one note added), EmMaj7 (with one note moved) or Eadd9 (with one note moved).

In which keys. Every note of Emaj7 belongs to C# minor (the ♭III), E major (the I), Ab minor (the ♭VI) and B major (the IV).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 021100, xx2444, x76444, x7685x, x79897, x-x-x-9-9-11, x-x-9-9-9-11, 12-14-13-13-12-12.

Under the hand. 1 of the 8 shapes here sits in open position, and the first uses 3 open strings. 4 of the 8 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 14th.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Emaj7 has 066xxx, x768xx, 12-11-13-x-x-x, 0x11xx, x7x89x, 12-x-13-13-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Emaj7 has xx1100, 0211xx, xx2444, x6645x, 7768xx, x7989x, x-x-9-9-9-11, 11-11-9-9-x-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Emaj7 has x2x140, 0x110x, 4x244x, x6x454, 7x685x, x7x897, x-11-x-9-12-11, 11-x-9-9-9-x.

Tensions. A shell of Emaj7, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (F#), the #11 (A#) and the 13 (C#).

What kind of chord this is. Emaj7 is a major chord — root, major third, fifth. major chords on every root, and what they are for.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.