# A♯ Major 7th piano chord (A♯maj7)

A♯maj7 contains A♯, C×, E♯ and G×. A major triad with the major seventh added on top. A♯ is a black key; C×, E♯ and G× are white.

- Canonical page: https://piano.org/chords/major-7th/a-sharp/
- Entity: chord:major-7th:a-sharp
- Notes: A♯ C× E♯ G×
- Formula: 1 3 5 7
- Intervals from root: P1, M3, P5, M7
- Interval stack (semitones): 4 3 4
- Also written: A♯maj7, A#maj7, A♯ major 7th
- Parameters: A440, 12-TET, 165 mm octave, spans centre to centre

## Construction

| Degree | Note | Interval from root | Semitones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | A♯ | Perfect unison | 0 |
| 3 | C× | Major third | 4 |
| 5 | E♯ | Perfect fifth | 7 |
| 7 | G× | Major seventh | 11 |

## Fingering

Rest your right hand over the notes with finger 2 on A♯, finger 3 on C×, finger 4 on E♯, finger 5 on G×. The left hand mirrors it.
Right hand 2-3-4-5, left hand 5-4-3-2. Source: piano.org fingering method v1.

## Inversions

| Position | Bass | Notes in order | Figured bass | Span |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Root position | A♯ | A♯3 C×4 E♯4 G×4 | 7 | 11 st, 151 mm |
| First inversion (A♯maj7/C×) | C× | C×4 E♯4 G×4 A♯4 | 6/5 | 8 st, 110 mm |
| Second inversion (A♯maj7/E♯) | E♯ | E♯4 G×4 A♯4 C×5 | 4/3 | 9 st, 124 mm |
| Third inversion (A♯maj7/G×) | G× | G×4 A♯4 C×5 E♯5 | 4/2 | 8 st, 110 mm |

## Voicings (10)

| Voicing | Notes | Span | Relation | Omits or adds |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Close, root position | A♯3 C×4 E♯4 G×4 | 11 st, 151 mm | identical | none |
| Close, first inversion | C×4 E♯4 G×4 A♯4 | 8 st, 110 mm | identical | none |
| Close, second inversion | E♯4 G×4 A♯4 C×5 | 9 st, 124 mm | identical | none |
| Close, third inversion | G×4 A♯4 C×5 E♯5 | 8 st, 110 mm | identical | none |
| Drop 2 | E♯3 A♯3 C×4 G×4 | 16 st, 220 mm | identical | none |
| Drop 3 | C×3 A♯3 E♯4 G×4 | 19 st, 261 mm | identical | none |
| Drop 2 and 4 | A♯2 E♯3 C×4 G×4 | 23 st, 316 mm | identical | none |
| Shell, root 7 3 | A♯2 G×3 C×4 | 16 st, 220 mm | subset | omits E♯ |
| Guide tones, 3 and 7 | C×4 G×4 | 7 st, 96 mm | subset | omits A♯ and E♯ |
| Rootless close | C×4 E♯4 G×4 | 7 st, 96 mm | subset | omits A♯ |

## Diatonic function by key

| Key | Roman numeral | Function |
| --- | --- | --- |
| D minor | ♭VImaj7 | Pre-dominant colour |
| F major | IVmaj7 | Subdominant, away from home |
| G minor | ♭IIImaj7 | Relative-major colour |
| B♭ major | Imaj7 | Tonic, home |

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

## Progressions (9)

| Progression | Key | Role | Sequence | Voice leading |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ♭VI, iv, i, v | D minor | ♭VImaj7 | B♭maj7 to Gm7 to Dm7 to Am7 | A♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| i, ♭VI | D minor | ♭VImaj7 | Dm7 to B♭maj7 | 3 tones held from Dm7 |
| IV, V, I | F major | IVmaj7 | B♭maj7 to C7 to Fmaj7 | A♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| I, IV | F major | IVmaj7 | Fmaj7 to B♭maj7 | 2 tones held from Fmaj7 |
| ♭III, ♭VI, ii, v | G minor | ♭IIImaj7 | B♭maj7 to E♭maj7 to Am7♭5 to Dm7 | A♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| i, ♭III | G minor | ♭IIImaj7 | Gm7 to B♭maj7 | 3 tones held from Gm7 |
| ii, V, I | B♭ major | Imaj7 | Cm7 to F7 to B♭maj7 | 2 tones held from F7 |
| IV, I | B♭ major | Imaj7 | E♭maj7 to B♭maj7 | 2 tones held from E♭maj7 |
| I, vi, ii, V | B♭ major | Imaj7 | B♭maj7 to Gm7 to Cm7 to F7 | A♯maj7 opens the phrase |

## One-edit neighbors

| Becomes | Edit | Changes | Common tones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A♯maj9 | 1 3 5 7 9 | adds B♯ | 4 |
| A♯ | 1 3 5 | drops G× | 3 |
| A♯7 | 1 3 5 ♭7 | G× becomes G♯ | 3 |
| A♯mMaj7 | 1 ♭3 5 7 | C× becomes C♯ | 3 |
| A♯6 | 1 3 5 6 | G× becomes F× | 3 |
| A♯add9 | 1 3 5 9 | G× becomes B♯ | 3 |
| A♯9 | 1 3 5 ♭7 9 | G× becomes G♯, B♯ | 3 |
| A♯m | 1 ♭3 5 | C×, G× becomes C♯ | 2 |
| A♯aug | 1 3 ♯5 | E♯, G× becomes E× | 2 |
| A♯sus2 | 1 2 5 | C×, G× becomes B♯ | 2 |
| A♯sus4 | 1 4 5 | C×, G× becomes D♯ | 2 |
| A♯m7 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | C×, G× becomes C♯, G♯ | 2 |

## Set theory

- Absolute pitch classes: {10, 2, 5, 9}
- Relative pitch classes: [0, 4, 7, 11]
- Normal order: [9, 10, 2, 5]
- Prime form: (0158)
- Forte number: 4-20
- Interval vector: <101220>

## Frequencies (close root position)

| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A♯3 | 58 | 233.08 Hz |
| C×4 | 62 | 293.66 Hz |
| E♯4 | 65 | 349.23 Hz |
| G×4 | 69 | 440.00 Hz |

## Questions and answers

### What notes are in A♯maj7?

A♯maj7 contains A♯, C×, E♯ and G×. The formula is 1, 3, 5, 7.

### How do you play A♯maj7 on piano?

Play A♯, C×, E♯ and G× together. Right hand fingers 2, 3, 4, 5; left hand 5, 4, 3, 2. A♯ is a black key; C×, E♯ and G× are white.

### What are the inversions of A♯maj7?

4 positions: root position A♯ C× E♯ G×, A♯maj7/C×, A♯maj7/E♯, A♯maj7/G×.

### What keys contain A♯maj7?

4: ♭VImaj7 in D minor, IVmaj7 in F major, ♭IIImaj7 in G minor, Imaj7 in B♭ major.

### What is the difference between A♯maj7 and A♯maj9?

Adds B♯. 4 of the notes are shared.

### What is an easy A♯maj7 for small hands?

The guide tones, 3 and 7 voicing, C×4 G×4, spans 7 semitones or about 96 mm.

### What are the frequencies of A♯maj7?

From A♯3 at A440 in 12-TET: 233.08, 293.66, 349.23, 440.00 Hz.

### What is the set class of A♯maj7?

Prime form (0158), Forte 4-20, interval vector &lt;101220&gt;.

### How do I transpose A♯maj7 to another key?

Keep the 1, 3, 5, 7 formula on the new root. Cmaj7 is C, E, G, B; C♯maj7 is C♯, E♯, G♯, B♯.

### Is B♭maj7 the same as A♯maj7?

Enharmonically yes: the same piano keys and the same sound, spelled differently.

## Provenance

Every derived value above is computed by the piano.org theory kernel from the root, the quality and the stated parameters. Nothing is hand-entered per chord.

Machine record: https://piano.org/api/knowledge/v1/entities/chord:major-7th:a-sharp
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12