Lesson 16 · All 12 keys

Major 7th Chord Trainer

Learn how a major 7th chord is built one semitone-count at a time — a major triad plus a major 7th on top — then put it to work with two MIDI exercises: playing all 12 major 7th chords around the circle of fourths, and a classic jazz/gospel turnaround (Imaj7-vi7-ii7-V7) showing off its lush tonic color, in every key.

How a major 7th chord is built

A major 7th chord is a 4-note chord — a major triad with one more note stacked on top. Every major 7th chord — in any of the 12 keys — is built the exact same way, by counting semitones to the right from a root note:

  1. Start on the root — the note that names the chord.
  2. Count 4 semitones to the right to land on the major 3rd.
  3. From there, count 3 more semitones to the right (7 semitones from the root) to land on the perfect 5th.
  4. From there, count 4 more semitones to the right (11 semitones from the root) to land on the major 7th.
Example — D major 7th (Dmaj7): start on D, count 4 semitones right to reach F♯, 3 more to reach A, then 4 more to reach C♯. D‑F♯‑A‑C♯ is the Dmaj7 chord. The pattern 4, 3, 4 (11 semitones total from root to top) is what makes a chord "major 7th" — every one of the 12 major 7th chords is this same shape, just moved to start on a different key.
Compare this to a dominant 7th chord, which counts 4, 3, 3 instead — a major 7th chord raises that ♭7th by one more semitone, landing just one semitone below the octave rather than two. That single semitone changes everything: instead of the dominant 7th's restless pull toward another chord, a major 7th chord sounds lush, dreamy, and content to stay right where it is — the signature color of jazz ballads and soft gospel tonic chords, and the chord a major scale naturally builds on its own 1st and 4th degrees (Imaj7 and IVmaj7).

Try it: pick a root and build the chord step by step

Step 1 of 4
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Chord toneNoteSemitones from rootMIDI #

All 12 major 7th chords at a glance

ChordRoot+4 semitones → 3rd+3 semitones → 5th+4 semitones → 7th

This MIDI exercise plays all 12 major 7th chords, one after another, moving around the circle of fourths — each chord's root sits a perfect 4th (5 semitones) above the last one: C → F → B♭ → E♭ → A♭ → D♭ → G♭/F♯ → B → E → A → D → G → back to C. Every chord is played as a full 4-note major 7th (root, 3rd, 5th, and major 7th together).

Chord 1 of 12
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The 12 chords, in circle-of-fourths order

#ChordRoot3rd5th7th

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Key of C
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Progression in C

DegreeChordNotes