Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| G♯ | Root | 1 |
| B♯ | Major 3rd | 3 |
| D♯ | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| F♯♯ | Major 7th | 7 |
Fingering
| Note | Key color | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| G♯ | black | index finger (2) | little finger (5) |
| B♯ | white | middle finger (3) | ring finger (4) |
| D♯ | black | ring finger (4) | middle finger (3) |
| F♯♯ | white | little finger (5) | index finger (2) |
Right hand: index finger (2) on G♯, middle finger (3) on B♯, ring finger (4) on D♯, little finger (5) on F♯♯.
Left hand: little finger (5) on G♯, ring finger (4) on B♯, middle finger (3) on D♯, index finger (2) on F♯♯.
G♯ Major 7th Inversions
- Root positionG♯ – B♯ – D♯ – F♯♯
- 1st inversion (G♯maj7/B♯)B♯ – D♯ – F♯♯ – G♯
- 2nd inversion (G♯maj7/D♯)D♯ – F♯♯ – G♯ – B♯
- 3rd inversion (G♯maj7/F♯♯)F♯♯ – G♯ – B♯ – D♯
Key Signature
A chord has no key signature of its own, but the G♯ Major 7th is the tonic (I) chord of G♯ Major, whose key signature has 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭).
Order of flats
Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.
Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Chords in the Key of G♯ Major
These are the triads built on each degree of G♯ Major:
Scales That Include the G♯ Major 7th
- Ab Major (Imaj7)
- Eb Major (IVmaj7)
- C Minor (♭VImaj7)
- F Minor (♭IIImaj7)
- Bb Dorian (VII)
- C Phrygian (VI)
- Db Lydian (V)
- Eb Mixolydian (IV)
G♯ Major 7th : Frequently Asked Questions
What is the G♯ Major 7th chord on piano?
What is the G# piano chord?
What notes are in the G# Major 7th chord?
How is the G# Major 7th chord used in music?
What is the fingering for G# Major 7th?
What are the inversions of G# Major 7th?
G♯ Major 7th in detail
Exact
Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.
| Type | Notes | Semitones | Span | Omissions and additions | Set relation | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close, root position | G♯3 B♯4 D♯4 F×4 | 11 | 151 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, first inversion | B♯4 D♯4 F×4 G♯4 | 8 | 110 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, second inversion | D♯4 F×4 G♯4 B♯5 | 9 | 124 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, third inversion | F×4 G♯4 B♯5 D♯5 | 8 | 110 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 2 | D♯3 G♯3 B♯4 F×4 | 16 | 220 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 3 | B♯3 G♯3 D♯4 F×4 | 19 | 261 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 2 and 4 | G♯2 D♯3 B♯4 F×4 | 23 | 316 mm | none | identical |
Reduced
A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.
| Type | Notes | Semitones | Span | Omissions and additions | Set relation | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shell, root 7 3 | G♯2 F×3 B♯4 | 16 | 220 mm | omits D♯ | subset | |
| Guide tones, 3 and 7 | B♯4 F×4 | 7 | 96 mm | omits G♯ and D♯ | subset | |
| Rootless close | B♯4 D♯4 F×4 | 7 | 96 mm | omits G♯ | subset |
Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).
| Position | Bass note | Notes in order | Figured bass | Semitones | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | G♯ | G♯3, B♯4, D♯4, F×4 | 7 | 11 | 151 mm |
| First inversion: G♯maj7/B♯ | B♯ | B♯4, D♯4, F×4, G♯4 | 6/5 | 8 | 110 mm |
| Second inversion: G♯maj7/D♯ | D♯ | D♯4, F×4, G♯4, B♯5 | 4/3 | 9 | 124 mm |
| Third inversion: G♯maj7/F× | F× | F×4, G♯4, B♯5, D♯5 | 4/2 | 8 | 110 mm |
One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.
| 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 |
Root motion, common tones and voice displacement are computed from pitch class sets. Roman numerals follow common practice functional harmony.
Which keys it belongs to
| 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.
Change one note
Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.
| Chord | Change | Formula | Common tones |
|---|---|---|---|
| G♯maj9 | adds A♯ | 1 3 5 7 9 | 4 |
| G♯ | drops F× | 1 3 5 | 3 |
| G♯7 | F× becomes F♯ | 1 3 5 ♭7 | 3 |
| G♯mMaj7 | B♯ becomes B | 1 ♭3 5 7 | 3 |
| G♯6 | F× becomes E♯ | 1 3 5 6 | 3 |
| G♯add9 | F× becomes A♯ | 1 3 5 9 | 3 |
| G♯9 | F× becomes F♯, A♯ | 1 3 5 ♭7 9 | 3 |
| G♯m | B♯, F× becomes B | 1 ♭3 5 | 2 |
| G♯aug | D♯, F× becomes D× | 1 3 ♯5 | 2 |
| G♯sus2 | B♯, F× becomes A♯ | 1 2 5 | 2 |
| G♯sus4 | B♯, F× becomes C♯ | 1 4 5 | 2 |
| G♯m7 | B♯, F× becomes B, F♯ | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | 2 |
Frequencies
| 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 |
Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.
Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector
- Absolute pitch class set
- {8, 0, 3, 7}
- Normal order
- [7, 8, 0, 3]
- Prime form
- (0158)
- Forte number
- 4-20
- Interval vector
- <101220>
| Pair | Interval | Semitones | Interval class |
|---|---|---|---|
| G♯ to B♯ | Major third | 4 | 4 |
| G♯ to D♯ | Perfect fifth | 7 | 5 |
| G♯ to F× | Major seventh | 11 | 1 |
| B♯ to D♯ | Minor third | 3 | 3 |
| B♯ to F× | Perfect fifth | 7 | 5 |
| D♯ to F× | Major third | 4 | 4 |
Where these facts come from
Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a major 7th applied to the root G♯, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.