Jazz Guitar Chords: Start With Major 7ths

Jazz chords have a softer, mellower sound than standard major and minor chords, and the major 7th family is the best place to start learning them. You can swap these into pop, folk, or singer-songwriter tunes too — they’re not just for jazz players. Any time you want a bit more warmth and sophistication, a major 7th chord does the trick.

What Makes a Jazz Chord Different?

Standard chords — your G, C, D — are triads. Three notes: root, third, and fifth. Jazz chords add a fourth note to the mix, which is why they’re sometimes called tetrachords. That extra note is what gives them their character. In the case of a major 7th, you’re adding the 7th degree of the major scale on top of the regular major triad.

The result is a chord that’s still major, still bright, but with a smoothness to it that a plain major chord doesn’t have. That’s the “jazz” sound people are after.

A Major 7th (Open Position)

The best major 7th to learn first is the open A major 7th. The fingering: first finger on the 3rd string, 1st fret. Second finger on the 4th string, 2nd fret. Third finger on the 2nd string, 2nd fret. Play all five strings (skip the low E).

If you already know a regular A major, notice that the only difference is shifting your fingers around to fit that fourth note in. The two chords are completely interchangeable — any time you see A major in a song, you can play A major 7th instead for a jazzier feel.

And here’s the thing: if you bar that shape, it becomes movable. Slide it up a fret and it’s Bb major 7th. Up another and it’s B major 7th. One shape gives you every major 7th chord on the neck.

D Major 7th

This might be the easiest bar chord you’ll ever learn. Bar the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings at the 2nd fret with your first finger. Leave the 4th string open. That’s it — D major 7th. Don’t hit the 5th or 6th strings, though. Too much bass, it’ll wash out the chord.

Play A major 7th, then D major 7th. Hear how those two work together? That’s a I-IV movement, and it sounds beautiful with major 7ths.

Just like the A shape, the D major 7th is movable. Bar the bottom four strings with your first finger, then bar three strings with your third finger two frets up. Slide the whole thing to the 3rd fret and you’ve got Eb major 7th. 4th fret is E major 7th.

Combining Major 7th Chords

Once you’ve got the A and D shapes movable, try some combinations. E major 7th paired with B major 7th sounds great. So does Bb major 7th with F major 7th. Because you can move both shapes anywhere, you’ve got access to any major 7th chord change you’ll need.

Start with the open positions to get the sound in your ear, then experiment with the bar chord versions up the neck. These chords work in jazz, obviously, but they also turn up constantly in pop, R&B, bossa nova, and anything where you want the harmony to feel smooth rather than punchy.

Major 7ths are just one piece of the puzzle. If you want to explore other chord families, check out how suspended chords create tension and release, or learn how E minor chord variations open up new sounds using open voicing triads.

For a complete overview of all the chord families, visit our guitar chord types guide, or start from the beginning with our full guitar chords resource.

If you want to take your chord vocabulary further, the Riff Ninja Guitar School has a full series on chord theory and substitutions. Try the 3-day free trial to check it out.