Gmaj7 chord on guitar

Gmaj7 is G, B, D and F♯. The easiest shape is 3-2-0-0-0-2. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

3-2-0-0-0-2 · open · easy

Notes: G · B · D · F♯
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · 7
First shape: 3-2-0-0-0-2

How to play Gmaj7 on guitar

Shape 1, 3-2-0-0-0-2, reading from the low E string on the left:

Put your index finger on the A string at the 2nd fret, which is B.
Put your middle finger on the high E string at the 2nd fret, which is F♯.
Put your ring finger on the low E string at the 3rd fret, which is G.
The open D, G and B strings add D, G and B; don't touch them.

Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.

Other ways to play Gmaj7

3-5-4-4-3-3: barre shape at the 3rd fret, medium. The root is on the low E string, so you can slide this shape to play any major seventh chord.
x-10-12-11-12-10: barre shape at the 10th fret, medium. The root is on the A string; it's the Amaj7 shape moved up the neck.
x-10-9-7-7-7: partial barre shape at the 7th fret, medium. Up the neck the chord gets thinner and brighter, a good contrast to the open version.

Capo shortcuts for Gmaj7

A capo turns an open chord into Gmaj7: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open Fmaj7 shape (x-x-3-2-1-0), capo on the 3rd fret and play the open Emaj7 shape (0-2-1-1-0-0), capo on the 5th fret and play the open Dmaj7 shape (x-x-0-2-2-2) or capo on the 7th fret and play the open Cmaj7 shape (x-3-2-0-0-0). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

Gmaj7 chord changes

Songs rarely hold Gmaj7 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

Cmaj7 (IV in G major): Gmaj7 (3-2-0-0-0-2) to Cmaj7 (x-3-2-0-0-0): the index finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, your middle finger lands on the A string, 3rd fret. The two chords share G and B, which is why the change sounds smooth. Cmaj7 on guitar
D7 (V in G major): Gmaj7 (3-2-0-0-0-2) to D7 (x-x-0-2-1-2): the index finger goes to the B string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 2nd fret, move the ring finger to the high E string, 2nd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for D and F♯, which stay put while the rest moves. D7 on guitar
Em7 (vi in G major): Gmaj7 (3-2-0-0-0-2) to Em7 (0-2-0-0-0-0): your index finger stays put. Very little moves, so this change comes fast. G, B and D carry over from one chord to the other. Em7 on guitar

Gmaj7 is a major seventh chord: a major triad with the note a half step below the octave added. Gmaj7 works as a relaxed home chord; swap it in for plain G at the end of a phrase. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

A short Gmaj7 drill

Arpeggiate 3-2-0-0-0-2 from the lowest string: G, B, D, G, B, F♯. Then strum it and listen for the same 6 notes together. Finish by moving between 3-2-0-0-0-2 and 3-5-4-4-3-3 to learn two positions of the same chord.

Where Gmaj7 shows up

In G major, ii–V–I on guitar is Am7 (x-0-2-0-1-0), D7 (x-x-0-2-1-2) and Gmaj7 (3-2-0-0-0-2). About the jazz cadence.

Gmaj7 on piano and ukulele

Gmaj7 on piano and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Next to try on guitar

Other major seventh chords

Gmaj7 on guitar: questions

What notes are in Gmaj7 on guitar?

G, B, D and F♯. In the 3-2-0-0-0-2 shape the strings play G (low E string), B (A string), D (D string, open), G (G string, open), B (B string, open) and F♯ (high E string), so G and B are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Gmaj7 on guitar?

3-2-0-0-0-2, the first shape on this page. It uses open strings, so there is no barre to press.

Is Gmaj7 a barre chord on guitar?

Not in its common form: 3-2-0-0-0-2 needs no barre. The barre versions come later, higher on the neck.

Which string does Gmaj7 start on?

In the 3-2-0-0-0-2 shape the lowest string you play is the low E string at the 3rd fret, which is G, the root.

Every shape above plays only G, B, D and F♯, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.