Skip to content
piano.org
A piano reference: chords, scales, theory. Full MIDI.

G♯ Major 7th

Notes: G♯ - B♯ - D♯ - F♯♯ | Degrees: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 | Written: G♯maj7, G♯M7, G♯Δ7

Construction: Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 7th

It is a major triad with an added major 7th, giving it a dreamy, sophisticated, and jazzy sound

Fingering: RH 2-3-4-5, LH 5-4-3-2

Inversions: Root G♯maj7 - 1st G♯maj7/B♯ - 2nd G♯maj7/D♯ - 3rd G♯maj7/F♯♯

A♭ Major 7th
This is the same chord as A♭ Major 7th: the same keys on the keyboard, spelled with flats.
Related boards
G♯maj711 st, 151.0 mmRoot position, figured bass 7

G♯3, B♯4, D♯4, F×4

Fingerings

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
HandNotesFingers
RightG♯, B♯, D♯, F×2-3-4-5
LeftG♯, B♯, D♯, F×5-4-3-2

Close-position standard fingering: either hand takes the whole shape. Thumb is 1, little finger is 5.

G♯ Major 7th: notes and degrees

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

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
DegreeNoteInterval from rootSemitones
1G♯Perfect unison0
3B♯Major third4
5D♯Perfect fifth7
7Major seventh11

G♯ and D♯ are black keys; B♯ and F× are white.

Construction

G♯ Major 7th = Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 5th + Major 7th = G♯, B♯, D♯, F♯♯
NoteIntervalDegree
G♯Root1
B♯Major 3rd3
D♯Perfect 5th5
F♯♯Major 7th7

Fingering

NoteKey colorRight handLeft hand
G♯blackindex finger (2)little finger (5)
B♯whitemiddle finger (3)ring finger (4)
D♯blackring finger (4)middle finger (3)
F♯♯whitelittle 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 position
    G♯ – 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♭).

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.

BEADGCF

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:

C1C2C3C4B♯C6C7C8G♯D♯
IG♯ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IG♯ MajorMajor
2iiA♯ MinorMinor
3iiiB♯ MinorMinor
4IVC♯ MajorMajor
5VD♯ MajorMajor
6viE♯ MinorMinor
7vii°F♯♯ DiminishedDiminished

Scales That Include the G♯ Major 7th

G♯ Major 7th : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the G♯ Major 7th chord on piano?
The G♯ Major 7th chord contains the notes G♯ – B♯ – D♯ – F♯♯. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What is the G# piano chord?
The G# piano chord (written G♯ Major 7th) uses the same keys: G♯ – B♯ – D♯ – F♯♯. The # and ♯ symbols name the same black key.
What notes are in the G# Major 7th chord?
G# Major 7th is built from the G# root. Check the interactive keyboard above for exact notes and fingering.
How is the G# Major 7th chord used in music?
G# Major 7th appears in jazz, pop, and classical contexts. Its sound depends on the chord quality (Major 7th).
What is the fingering for G# Major 7th?
See the fingering chart above. Right hand typically uses thumb on root. Left hand uses pinky on root.
What are the inversions of G# Major 7th?
Use the inversion buttons above to see each inversion with notes, fingering, and staff notation.

G♯ Major 7th in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

TypeNotesSemitonesSpanOmissions and additionsSet relationFit
Close, root positionG♯3 B♯4 D♯4 F×411151 mmnoneidentical
Close, first inversionB♯4 D♯4 F×4 G♯48110 mmnoneidentical
Close, second inversionD♯4 F×4 G♯4 B♯59124 mmnoneidentical
Close, third inversionF×4 G♯4 B♯5 D♯58110 mmnoneidentical
Drop 2D♯3 G♯3 B♯4 F×416220 mmnoneidentical
Drop 3B♯3 G♯3 D♯4 F×419261 mmnoneidentical
Drop 2 and 4G♯2 D♯3 B♯4 F×423316 mmnoneidentical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

TypeNotesSemitonesSpanOmissions and additionsSet relationFit
Shell, root 7 3G♯2 F×3 B♯416220 mmomits D♯subset
Guide tones, 3 and 7B♯4 F×4796 mmomits G♯ and D♯subset
Rootless closeB♯4 D♯4 F×4796 mmomits G♯subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Which keys it belongs to

KeyRoman numeralFunction
C minor♭VImaj7Pre-dominant color
E♭ majorIVmaj7Subdominant, away from home
F minor♭IIImaj7Relative-major color
A♭ majorImaj7Tonic, home

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

ChordChangeFormulaCommon tones
G♯maj9adds A♯1 3 5 7 94
G♯drops F×1 3 53
G♯7F× becomes F♯1 3 5 ♭73
G♯mMaj7B♯ becomes B1 ♭3 5 73
G♯6F× becomes E♯1 3 5 63
G♯add9F× becomes A♯1 3 5 93
G♯9F× becomes F♯, A♯1 3 5 ♭7 93
G♯mB♯, F× becomes B1 ♭3 52
G♯augD♯, F× becomes D×1 3 ♯52
G♯sus2B♯, F× becomes A♯1 2 52
G♯sus4B♯, F× becomes C♯1 4 52
G♯m7B♯, F× becomes B, F♯1 ♭3 5 ♭72

Frequencies

NoteMIDIFrequency
G♯356207.65 Hz
B♯460261.63 Hz
D♯463311.13 Hz
F×467392.00 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>
PairIntervalSemitonesInterval class
G♯ to B♯Major third44
G♯ to D♯Perfect fifth75
G♯ to F×Major seventh111
B♯ to D♯Minor third33
B♯ to F×Perfect fifth75
D♯ to F×Major third44

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.