The Cmaj7 ukulele chord contains C, E, G, B. Its first ukulele voicing is the movable voicing: G string at fret 5 (middle finger); C string open; E string open; A string at fret 2 (index finger). As a major 7th chord it has a distinct job in a progression, and this page explains that job alongside the fingerings, the notes and the practice steps that make it stick.
What notes are in the Cmaj7 chord?
The Cmaj7 chord is a major 7th chord, and its notes are fixed: C, E, G, B. Every voicing on every instrument uses these same notes, in some order and in some octave — change one of them and you are playing a different chord. The table below lists each note with its interval from the root C, so you can see the structure of Cmaj7 at a glance. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes C, E, G, B in Cmaj7.
| Note | Interval |
|---|---|
| C | Root |
| E | 3 |
| G | 5 |
| B | 7 |
The root is C, the note the chord is named after and the note your ear hears as home. Above it, the intervals in Cmaj7 are 3, 5, 7. Once you know the intervals, you can build Cmaj7 from any root by counting the same semitone steps, which is how the chord works in every key. On the ukulele, the notes appear in the order the fingering dictates, but the set of notes never changes.
Cmaj7 sounds mellow and spacious, a tonic colour that feels settled yet richer than a plain major triad. That character comes straight from the intervals above, not from the instrument: the same notes on piano, guitar or ukulele carry the same colour, even though the voicing changes. On the ukulele, the movable voicing of Cmaj7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
Comparing Cmaj7 with its closest relatives helps to fix it in your ear. In short, major 7th against dominant 7th: Cmaj7 keeps the major 7th B, while the dominant version flattens it to A#. The major 7th sounds dreamy; the dominant 7th sounds restless. Hearing the comparison matters more than reading it: play Cmaj7, then play the chord it is compared with above, and let your ear find the note that changed. On the ukulele, the movable voicing of Cmaj7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
How to play Cmaj7 on ukulele
On the ukulele, Cmaj7 has 3 voicings in the data below, and each one uses the same notes — C, E, G, B — in a different place on the neck. The first voicing below is the one to learn first, and the alternatives cover the rest of the neck. Finger numbers below use 1 for the index finger, 2 for the middle finger, 3 for the ring finger and 4 for the little finger, and x means the string is not played.
The movable voicing is the voicing to learn if you want Cmaj7 in around fret 2: G string at fret 5 (middle finger); C string open; E string open; A string at fret 2 (index finger). The stretch is the challenge: the fretted notes span from fret 2 to fret 5, so keep your thumb low behind the neck and let your fingers reach rather than squeezing the neck. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in Cmaj7 — C, E, G, B — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
The barre chord puts Cmaj7 in around fret 3: G string at fret 4 (middle finger); C string at fret 4 (middle finger); E string at fret 3 (index finger); A string at fret 3 (index finger). It barres across strings 3 to 4 at fret 3 with the index finger. The barre is the hard part: the index finger must press every string from 3 to 4 evenly at fret 3, so roll it slightly onto its bony side and keep it close to the fret wire. If the barre buzzes, move it a fraction closer to the fret and press from the arm, not the thumb alone. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in Cmaj7 — C, E, G, B — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
Another way to play Cmaj7 is the movable voicing, in around fret 2: G string at fret 5 (ring finger); C string at fret 4 (middle finger); E string open; A string at fret 2 (index finger). The stretch is the challenge: the fretted notes span from fret 2 to fret 5, so keep your thumb low behind the neck and let your fingers reach rather than squeezing the neck. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in Cmaj7 — C, E, G, B — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
Choosing between the voicings of Cmaj7 is a musical decision, not a right-or-wrong one. The open or low-position voicing rings the most and suits strumming, while a barre or movable voicing lets you slide Cmaj7 up the neck to any key without changing the shape. When you change chords, pick the voicing of Cmaj7 that sits closest to the chord before it — shorter moves between shapes mean faster, cleaner changes. Practise the change into Cmaj7 from the chord that comes before it in your song, not the chord on its own, because the move is the skill. On the ukulele, the movable voicing of Cmaj7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
A short practice routine for Cmaj7 on the ukulele: play the first voicing four times slowly, checking each note, then change to it from the chord a fourth above C and back, four times, at a slow tempo. Then play the second voicing the same way. If a note buzzes, stop and fix the finger placement rather than playing through the buzz — clean notes at a slow tempo become clean notes at full tempo, while buzzes practised fast become habits. Use the Ukulele Chord Finder to see the diagram for Cmaj7 while you practise, and the Chord Finder to compare it with the same chord on other instruments.
Common mistakes
These are the mistakes that most often make Cmaj7 sound wrong on the ukulele, and each one has a concrete fix. Work through them one at a time rather than trying to fix everything at once.
Flattening the 7th. If B slips down to A# you have the dominant 7th, a different chord with a different job. Check the 7th note carefully — it sits a semitone below the root. On the ukulele, the movable voicing voicing is the place to hear it in Cmaj7.
Clashing the 7th against the root. The major 7th is a semitone below the root, so voicings that put them next to each other in the same octave can sound harsh. Spread the notes out across octaves. On the ukulele, the movable voicing of Cmaj7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
Playing it like a plain triad. Leaving B out turns this into an ordinary major chord and loses the whole point of the maj7 colour. Make the 7th audible. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes C, E, G, B in Cmaj7.
Using it as a dominant. Cmaj7 does not pull to a tonic the way a dominant 7th does. If you need a V chord, use the dominant 7th instead. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes C, E, G, B in Cmaj7.
Where Cmaj7 is used
Cmaj7 is not a diatonic triad in any major or minor key, because it is an extended or altered chord, but its base triad belongs to the key of C major, the key of F major, the key of G major. a chord for slow, open voicings — it rewards space and light touch. As a dominant-type chord it also points toward F major, the key a perfect fourth above C, which is the tonic it most often resolves to. That is where Cmaj7 does its work: not as a home chord, but as a chord that creates movement and then resolves. On the ukulele, the movable voicing of Cmaj7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
Because Cmaj7 is an extended or altered chord, it appears in progressions as a colour or a dominant rather than as a diatonic staple. Try it in place of the plain C triad in a progression you already know, and listen to how the extra notes change the feel — that substitution is the usual way extended chords enter real music. The Chord Progression Builder lets you try Cmaj7 in a progression in any key and hear how it connects to the chords around it. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes C, E, G, B in Cmaj7.
The same chord on other instruments is covered in Cmaj7 on guitar, Cmaj7 on piano, Cmaj7 on bass, and the scales that fit over it are the C major scale and the C minor pentatonic scale. Learning Cmaj7 on the ukulele and then checking it on another instrument is one of the best ways to fix the notes — C, E, G, B — in your memory, because the notes stay the same while everything else changes.
Practising Cmaj7
A short worked example makes Cmaj7 concrete. Play the four-chord progression F – C – Dm – A# in F major, the key Cmaj7 most often resolves toward: F – C – Dm – A#. Play each chord for one bar at a slow tempo, and listen to how Cmaj7 sounds in that sequence — whether it feels like home, like a lift, or like a chord on its way somewhere else. Then play the same four chords in a different order, starting on Cmaj7 itself, and notice how its character changes when it opens the progression instead of sitting inside it. On the ukulele, the movable voicing voicing is the place to hear it in Cmaj7.
For a second exercise, play Cmaj7 and then the chord a fourth above C, back and forth, four times each. That move — a chord and the chord a fourth above it — is the most common resolution in Western music, and it is the move Cmaj7 is built for when it acts as a dominant. Finish by playing Cmaj7 on its own, slowly, and naming each note out loud as you play it: C, E, G, B. Naming the notes while you play them is what turns a shape into knowledge you can use in any key. Test yourself with the Practice Chord Quiz and keep time with the Metronome as the tempo rises. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes C, E, G, B in Cmaj7.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cmaj7 hard to play on the ukulele?
It depends on the voicing. The first voicing of Cmaj7 on the ukulele is the easiest starting point, and the movable voicings further up the neck are harder because they need a barre or a wider stretch. Practise the first voicing cleanly at a slow tempo before you try the others, and the harder shapes will come more easily.
What is the easiest voicing of Cmaj7 on the ukulele?
The movable voicing is the easiest voicing listed for Cmaj7 on the ukulele: frets 5–0–0–2, fingers 2–0–0–1. Learn that shape first, get every note ringing cleanly, and only then move on to the alternative voicings further up the neck.
Is Cmaj7 a major chord?
Yes — Cmaj7 is a major 7th chord, built on a major triad (C, E, G) with the major 7th B added. It sounds major, but with a dreamy, jazzy colour the plain triad does not have. On the ukulele, the first voicing above shows where that note sits.
What is the difference between Cmaj7 and C7?
Cmaj7 uses the major 7th B; C7 uses the flattened 7th A#. Cmaj7 sounds settled and shimmering, C7 sounds bluesy and wants to resolve. On the ukulele, the first voicing above shows where that note sits.
Where is Cmaj7 used?
Cmaj7 is most at home as a tonic chord in jazz, bossa nova and soft pop, and as the IV chord in major keys. It suits slow tempos and open voicings where its shimmer has room to breathe. On the ukulele, the first voicing above shows where that note sits.