A Major 7th Guitar Chord — Drop B
Guitar chord voicings in Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)
A Major 7th Voicings in Drop B
A Major 7th filtered by fret:
A Major 7th in Drop B Tuning — Guide
The A Major 7th chord is made up of the following notes: A, C#, E, G#.
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M.
The A Major 7th chord in Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) requires different fingerings than standard tuning.
A major seventh combines a major triad with a major seventh interval, yielding the notes A, C#, E, G# (intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M). The major seventh sits just a half step below the octave, creating a lush, dreamy dissonance that sounds sophisticated rather than tense. This chord is the signature sound of bossa nova, smooth jazz, and neo-soul, evoking warmth, nostalgia, and romantic elegance.
How to Play A Major 7th
On guitar, the most common voicing for A maj7 is x-0-2-1-2-0 — open position that lowers the 2nd-string note by one fret from the A major shape. This is one of the fundamental shapes every guitarist should memorize early on, as it appears in countless songs and serves as a building block for more complex voicings up the neck.
A Major 7th in Progressions
A major seventh typically serves as the Imaj7 in A major or the IVmaj7 in E major. These are the two diatonic positions where major seventh chords naturally occur, giving songs a polished, sophisticated character.
Common Substitutions
A6, Amaj9, or Aadd9 can replace the major seventh, offering varying levels of color and complexity.
Difficulty: On guitar, this chord has a comfortable open voicing — suitable for beginners and widely used in popular songs.