C Major Seventh Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
C Major Seventh Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: C, E, G, B
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M
Formula: 2W-WH-2W
Number of notes: 4
Also known as: maj7, Δ, ma7, M7, Maj7, ^7
The C Major Seventh arpeggio contains 4 notes (C, E, G, B). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the C Major Seventh Arpeggio
Play the C Major Seventh arpeggio whenever a C Major Seventh chord appears in a progression. Unlike scales (which include passing tones), arpeggios guarantee every note you play IS a chord tone, making your solo sound harmonically precise and intentional.
Arpeggio vs. Scale
The C Major Seventh arpeggio uses 4 notes (C, E, G, B) while the full scale uses 7. The arpeggio is a subset — think of it as the skeleton of the scale. Practice alternating between the arpeggio and the full scale to develop a melodic vocabulary that mixes chord tones with passing tones.
How to Play C Major Seventh Arpeggio on Ukulele
On ukulele, find C around the open strings and play through the arpeggio tones (C, E, G, B). You may need to move beyond a single chord shape to reach all 4 notes. Practice connecting the arpeggio tones smoothly across adjacent fret positions.
The C Major Seventh arpeggio outlines a C major chord and works perfectly over C, Cmaj7, C6 harmonies. It is a foundational arpeggio for soloing over major-key progressions and emphasizes the bright, resolved character of the major triad.
Practice Routine
Practice the C Major Seventh arpeggio in different octaves, starting low and working up. Then try displacing the octaves — play the root low, the E an octave higher, and continue leaping. This trains your ear to hear the intervals (1P, 3M, 5P, 7M) in any register.
Ukulele Tips
The ukulele's re-entrant tuning creates natural voice leading within the C Major Seventh arpeggio. Experiment with picking patterns that take advantage of the high G string to create unexpected interval leaps within the arpeggio shape.