Major 7 and minor 7 chords (the smooth sound)

Dominant 7 (last lesson) sounds bluesy. Major 7 sounds lush, dreamy, sophisticated. Minor 7 sounds soulful, mellow, jazzy. Three more chord shapes that change the entire vocabulary of what you can play.

Pay attention:

• Cmaj7: open C chord with the index finger lifted (no note on the B string fret 1). The note that was a "C" becomes an open B = the major 7.
• Am7: open Am with the ring finger lifted (no note on the G string fret 2). The note that was a "C" becomes the open G = the minor 7.
• Em7: open Em with the ring finger NOT pressed at the D string fret 2. So just two fingers, A and D both open. Easiest 7th chord on the guitar.
• Dmaj7: D shape modified. High E plays B string fret 2 (F#), high E open (E) becomes a C# played at the B string fret 2.

The sound

• Wonderwall (Oasis) uses Em7. The "ringing" feel is the open G plus the open low E together.
• Hotel California opens with Bm Cmaj7 (more advanced voicing) — the maj7 is what creates that dreamy hovering quality.
• Wish You Were Here uses Em7 + G chord transitions throughout.

Drill it

Try this 4-chord progression: Cmaj7 → Am7 → Dm7 → Em7. Each chord 4 beats. Loop for 10 minutes. The progression is the foundation of the song "Autumn Leaves" and roughly half of all jazz standards.

If you have not played Dm7 yet: it's the D7 shape (lesson 5) with one extra note — the F natural on the high E string fret 1.

The pattern across chord types

1. Major (lesson Beginner-7: D)
2. Minor (lesson Beginner-7: Em, Am)
3. Dominant 7 (lesson 5: G7, A7, D7)
4. Major 7 + minor 7 (this lesson)

Next: hammer-ons and pull-offs. Time to make your lead playing flow.