Build the sound
Play C – E – G – B individually, then choose a shell voicing above. Sing the highest note before playing the chord.
Voicings · C△7 · Guitar
C△7 voicings on guitar
C△7 is spelled C – E – G – B (1 3 5 7) — the tonic Imaj7 of a major key, and any maj7 chord. Here are 5 ways to voice it on guitar: drop 2, drop 3, shell, rootless a, rootless b. Every diagram is playable — press play to hear the chord, or “roll it” to hear the voices one by one, low to high.
The voicings
5 ways to play C△7.
SoundRoot in gold, other voices in teal. Tap any note.
Drop 2
G · C · E · BTake the close voicing and drop its second-highest voice an octave. The most-used four-note voicing on guitar and in piano left hands. Strings E-A-D-G, frets 3-3-2-4.
Drop 3
E · C · G · BDrop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings A-G-B-e, frets 7-5-8-7 (position 4).
Shell (1–7–3)
C · B · ERoot, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings A-G-B, frets 3-4-5 (position 1).
Rootless A (3–5–7–9)
E · G · B · DBill Evans-style left-hand voicing: the third on the bottom, the ninth on top, the bass player supplies the root. Strings A-D-G-B, frets 7-5-4-3 (position 3).
Rootless B (7–9–3–5)
B · D · E · GThe companion rootless voicing with the seventh on the bottom. Alternate A and B so the top voice moves by step through a ii–V–I. Strings E-A-B-e, frets 7-5-5-3 (position 3).
Your next 10 minutes
Make C Major 7th part of your playing
Change the top note
Compare the displayed voicings of C△7. Notice which note is highest in each. Repeat the two shapes with the smallest comfortable hand movement, leaving a beat of silence between them.
Comp with space
Play C△7 on beats 2 and 4 at 60 bpm for four bars, then on the “and” of beat 2 for four bars. Keep the same notes while changing the rhythm. Mute unused strings and test each fretted note for buzz.
Listen for this: The chord tones are C, E, G, B. the tonic Imaj7 of a major key, and any maj7 chord. A fuller voicing is not automatically better: leave room for the melody and bass.
Understand the sound
C△7: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives C△7 its identity?
Compare the major seventh with the root. Their half-step proximity is especially exposed when placed next to each other; change the register to soften it.
Here the third is E, and degree 7 is B. Play C in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Choose a useful voicing
Start with the smallest displayed shape you can play cleanly. Move its highest note into a comfortable register and listen for a clear melody above the chord.
Sound the strings separately before playing them together. If a note is muted, adjust the finger angle instead of squeezing harder.
Your guitar checkpoint
Start with C on string 6, fret 8. The next note E is on string 6, fret 12. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: C · E · G · B. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
Behind the voicings
Every C△7 chord tone on the fretboard.
Reference
C△7 — chord tones & function.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | unison |
| 3 | E | major 3rd |
| 5 | G | perfect 5th |
| 7 | B | major 7th |
Arpeggio: C△7 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: C Major (Ionian).
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to comp C△7 through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
C△7 voicings FAQ.
What notes are in C△7?
C, E, G, B — chord tones 1 3 5 7. Rootless voicings add the 9th, D, and leave the root to the bass.
What is the easiest C△7 voicing on guitar?
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings A, G, B: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like C△7.
What is a drop-2 voicing?
Start from the close voicing C E G B and drop the second note from the top an octave: G – C – E – B. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
Where does C△7 appear?
C△7 is the tonic Imaj7 of a major key, and any maj7 chord. Its character is bright, settled, at rest.
Keep going
Major 7th voicings in every other key.
Same chord on piano · Major 7th hub.
Other chords from C