In music, a major seventh chord is a seventh chord in which the third is a major third above the root and the seventh is a major seventh above the root. The major seventh chord, sometimes also called a Delta chord, can be written as maj7, M7, , ⑦, etc. For example, the major seventh chord built on C, commonly written as Cmaj7, has pitches C–E–G–B:
It can be represented by the integer notation. According to Forte, the major seventh chord is exemplified by IV7, which originates melodically.
The just major seventh chord is tuned in the ratios 8:10:12:15, as a just major chord is tuned 4:5:6 and a just major seventh is tuned 15:8. The minor-minor sixth chord is an inversion of this chord.
Examples
In 1888, the French composer Erik Satie composed three slow waltzes, entitled Gymnopédies. The first and best-known of these alternates two major seventh chords. The first eight measures alternate between Gmaj7 and Dmaj7. \new PianoStaff << \new Staff << \new Voice \relative c'' \new Voice \relative c' \new Voice \relative c' >> \new Staff << \new Voice \relative c' \new Voice \relative c >> >>
Later examples of tonic major seventh chords include Jerome Kern's "All the Things You Are", Joseph Kosma's "Autumn Leaves", Antônio Carlos Jobim's "The Girl from Ipanema", The Beatles' "This Boy", Bread's "Make It With You", America's "Tin Man", Ambrosia's How Much I Feel, Blood Sweat & Tears' "You've Made Me So Very Happy", The Spinners' "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love", Al Wilson's "Show and Tell", third and main part of Paul McCartney and Wings' "Band On The Run", Carly Simon's "The Right Thing To Do", "Raydio's "You Can't Change That", Rupert Holmes' "Him" and Chicago's "Colour My World". Common in jazz since the Jazz Age of the 1920s, major seventh chords appeared frequently in compositions of genres influenced by jazz in the subsequent decades, such as traditional pop, bossa nova, and easy listening. Moving into the 1970s to replace the prominence of the dominant seventh chord as a stable tonic more common in the first fifteen years of the rock era, the major seventh was common in all styles, "pervading soul, country rock, soft rock, MOR, jazz rock, funk, and disco." Music theorist Ken Stephenson continues: Pieces which feature prominent major seventh chords include: Chick Corea's "Litha", Vince Guaraldi Trio's Christmas Time Is Here, Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge", John Lennon's "Imagine", Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower", Carole King's "It's Too Late", Michel Legrand's "Watch What Happens", Antonio Jobim's "Dindi", Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under The Bridge", Tadd Dameron's "Lady Bird", Tyler the Creator's "Earfquake", Smashing Pumpkin's "1979", Sugar Ray's "Someday", "This Guy's in Love with You", by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds's Fallin' In Love, Nicolette Larson's Lotta Love, England Dan & John Ford Coley's "We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again", The Spinners' "I'll Be Around", and Tower of Power's "So Very Hard to Go".
