Major seventh
A major seventh is 11 half steps, written M7. From C it reaches B. Hear it one note after the other, then together.
What it sounds like
Eleven half steps, one short of the octave. Together the notes clash almost like a minor second; it wants to rise the last half step.
Major seventh chords (Cmaj7) add it for a soft, dreamy sound, because the chord's other notes cushion the clash.
How to recognise a major seventh by ear
Think of the octave and stop one half step short. It's the ti of the major scale above do, a note that leans hard on the octave above. Together, the two notes buzz like a stretched-out minor second.
Inside the C major scale, the major sevenths are C–B and F–E. Being rare in the scale is part of why it stands out.
Add an octave and a major seventh becomes a major fourteenth, rarely named for the same reason. Intervals bigger than an octave are called compound intervals; they keep the character of the smaller interval but sound more open.
Chords with a major seventh above the root, shown on C: Cmaj7.
A major seventh from every note
The letter name moves up 6 letters (a "seventh") and the distance is always 11 half steps.
| From | Up a major seventh | |
|---|---|---|
| C | B | |
| D♭ | C | |
| D | C♯ | |
| E♭ | D | |
| E | D♯ | |
| F | E | |
| F♯ | E♯ | |
| G | F♯ | |
| A♭ | G | |
| A | G♯ | |
| B♭ | A | |
| B | A♯ |
Finding it on guitar
11 frets is a long stretch, so guitarists usually play a major seventh across strings: on the next higher string it's 6 frets up from the starting note, and between the G and B strings add one more. The diagram starts from A on the low E string.
Other intervals
- minor second
- major second
- minor third
- major third
- perfect fourth
- tritone
- perfect fifth
- minor sixth
- major sixth
- minor seventh
- octave
Major seventh: questions
How many half steps is a major seventh?
11. On the piano, count 11 keys up (black and white) from the starting note; on guitar, 11 frets up the same string.
What is a major seventh above C?
B. Above G it is F♯, above D it is C♯.
Is a major seventh consonant or dissonant?
Sharp dissonance. Eleven half steps, one short of the octave.
What is the inversion of a major seventh?
A minor second. Turn the interval upside down (put the lower note on top) and the two sizes always add up to 12 half steps: 11 + 1.
Spellings computed from letter names and half steps, and checked against both. Updated September 2026.