# G♯ Major 7th piano chord (G♯maj7)

G♯maj7 contains G♯, B♯, D♯ and F×. A major triad with the major seventh added on top. G♯ and D♯ are black keys; B♯ and F× are white.

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

## Construction

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

## Fingering

Rest your right hand over the notes with finger 2 on G♯, finger 3 on B♯, finger 4 on D♯, finger 5 on F×. 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 | G♯ | G♯3 B♯4 D♯4 F×4 | 7 | 11 st, 151 mm |
| First inversion (G♯maj7/B♯) | B♯ | B♯4 D♯4 F×4 G♯4 | 6/5 | 8 st, 110 mm |
| Second inversion (G♯maj7/D♯) | D♯ | D♯4 F×4 G♯4 B♯5 | 4/3 | 9 st, 124 mm |
| Third inversion (G♯maj7/F×) | F× | F×4 G♯4 B♯5 D♯5 | 4/2 | 8 st, 110 mm |

## Voicings (10)

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

## Diatonic function by key

| Key | Roman numeral | Function |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C minor | ♭VImaj7 | Pre-dominant color |
| E♭ major | IVmaj7 | Subdominant, away from home |
| F minor | ♭IIImaj7 | Relative-major color |
| A♭ major | Imaj7 | Tonic, home |

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

## Progressions (9)

| Progression | Key | Role | Sequence | Voice leading |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ♭VI, iv, i, v | C minor | ♭VImaj7 | A♭maj7 to Fm7 to Cm7 to Gm7 | G♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| i, ♭VI | C minor | ♭VImaj7 | Cm7 to A♭maj7 | 3 tones held from Cm7 |
| IV, V, I | E♭ major | IVmaj7 | A♭maj7 to B♭7 to E♭maj7 | G♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| I, IV | E♭ major | IVmaj7 | E♭maj7 to A♭maj7 | 2 tones held from E♭maj7 |
| ♭III, ♭VI, ii, v | F minor | ♭IIImaj7 | A♭maj7 to D♭maj7 to Gm7♭5 to Cm7 | G♯maj7 opens the phrase |
| i, ♭III | F minor | ♭IIImaj7 | Fm7 to A♭maj7 | 3 tones held from Fm7 |
| ii, V, I | A♭ major | Imaj7 | B♭m7 to E♭7 to A♭maj7 | 2 tones held from E♭7 |
| IV, I | A♭ major | Imaj7 | D♭maj7 to A♭maj7 | 2 tones held from D♭maj7 |
| I, vi, ii, V | A♭ major | Imaj7 | A♭maj7 to Fm7 to B♭m7 to E♭7 | G♯maj7 opens the phrase |

## One-edit neighbors

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

## Set theory

- Absolute pitch classes: {8, 0, 3, 7}
- Relative pitch classes: [0, 4, 7, 11]
- Normal order: [7, 8, 0, 3]
- Prime form: (0158)
- Forte number: 4-20
- Interval vector: <101220>

## Frequencies (close root position)

| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| G♯3 | 56 | 207.65 Hz |
| B♯4 | 60 | 261.63 Hz |
| D♯4 | 63 | 311.13 Hz |
| F×4 | 67 | 392.00 Hz |

## Questions and answers

### What notes are in G♯maj7?

G♯maj7 contains G♯, B♯, D♯ and F×. The formula is 1, 3, 5, 7.

### How do you play G♯maj7 on piano?

Play G♯, B♯, D♯ and F× together. Right hand fingers 2, 3, 4, 5; left hand 5, 4, 3, 2. G♯ and D♯ are black keys; B♯ and F× are white.

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

4 positions: root position G♯ B♯ D♯ F×, G♯maj7/B♯, G♯maj7/D♯, G♯maj7/F×.

### What keys contain G♯maj7?

4: ♭VImaj7 in C minor, IVmaj7 in E♭ major, ♭IIImaj7 in F minor, Imaj7 in A♭ major.

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

Adds A♯. 4 of the notes are shared.

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

The guide tones, 3 and 7 voicing, B♯4 F×4, spans 7 semitones or about 96 mm.

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

From G♯3 at A440 in 12-TET: 207.65, 261.63, 311.13, 392.00 Hz.

### What is the set class of G♯maj7?

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

### How do I transpose G♯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 A♭maj7 the same as G♯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:g-sharp
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12