A♭m(maj7) chord
A♭ minor-major seventh. The minor-major seventh chord: a minor triad with a major seventh. It is dark with a sharp edge, and it is the tonic chord of harmonic minor.
Click a note to hear it
- Notes
- A♭ C♭ E♭ G
- Formula
- 1 ♭3 5 7
- Intervals
- P1 m3 P5 M7
- Also written
- A♭mM7 · A♭mmaj7 · A♭min(maj7)
Notes in A♭m(maj7)
A♭m(maj7) is spelled A♭ C♭ E♭ G: four notes stacked from the root A♭.
| Note | Interval above A♭ | Role | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | root | 1 | |
| m3 | third | ♭3 | |
| P5 | fifth | 5 | |
| M7 | seventh | 7 |
Inversions
Putting a different chord tone in the bass gives each inversion. The chord is the same; the bass note changes how it sounds and what it can lead to.
| Position | Notes, low to high | Symbol | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | A♭ C♭ E♭ G | A♭m(maj7) | |
| First inversion | C♭ E♭ G A♭ | A♭m(maj7)/C♭ | |
| Second inversion | E♭ G A♭ C♭ | A♭m(maj7)/E♭ | |
| Third inversion | G A♭ C♭ E♭ | A♭m(maj7)/G |
On the piano
The root position voicing, with every chord tone lit in its own colour. Click a key to hear it.
On the guitar
A♭m(maj7) in standard tuning. The barre shapes below slide anywhere on the neck, so the same fingers give you every root. Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right); X means do not play that string.
A-shape barre at fret 11
What it sounds like
Cm(maj7) is C, E♭, G and B: a minor triad with a major seventh, eleven semitones above the root. The major seventh sits a semitone below the octave, so it clashes with the root, and it forms a tritone with the minor third, E♭ to B. The chord has a dark minor third and a bright, leading-tone-like seventh. The tension is high and the sound is unsettled, though the chord is a tonic and does not need to move on.
How it is used
The minor-major seventh is the tonic of harmonic minor, where the raised seventh of the key is a major seventh above the root. In A minor it is A, C, E and G♯. Jazz and film music use it as a dark tonic colour that sounds more tense than the plain minor seventh. Its movement is not fixed, because it is a tonic colour rather than a dominant. A tonic built this way sounds less settled than a plain minor triad, which draws attention to the tonic.
How it is built
The minor-major seventh is a root with a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major seventh, 0, 3, 7 and 11 semitones above the root. Common symbols are Cm(maj7), CmM7, Cm(Δ7) and Cm△7. The first inversion is Cm(maj7)/E♭, the second is Cm(maj7)/G, and the third has B in the bass. The chord contains Cm, so the major seventh is the only added note. The name lists the minor triad first, then the seventh.
Which keys contain A♭m(maj7)
A♭m(maj7) is not built from any one major or minor key’s own notes. It appears through borrowing, alteration or chromatic voice leading, which is part of why it sounds coloured.
Scales that fit A♭m(maj7)
Scales that contain every note of the chord, so they can be played over it:
Other A♭ chords
How to practise it
Play Am(maj7), which is A, C, E and G♯, and then Am7, with G in place of G♯. Listen to the single semitone that moves the chord from a tense harmonic minor tonic to a softer minor seventh. Repeat the test in C minor, moving the B to B♭, which gives Cm7, the chord without its raised seventh.
Further reading
- Seventh Chords and How They Resolve in Tonal HarmonyHarmony · 7 min
- Chord Symbols Explained: Major, Minor, Seventh and Slash ChordsHarmony · 8 min
- Natural, Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales ComparedFundamentals · 6 min
Questions
What notes are in a A♭m(maj7) chord?
A♭m(maj7) contains A♭, C♭, E♭, G. That is the root, third, fifth, seventh of the chord.
How do you spell A♭ minor-major seventh?
Stack the intervals P1, m3, P5, M7 above A♭: A♭, C♭, E♭, G.
What other symbols mean A♭m(maj7)?
Lead sheets also write it A♭mM7, A♭mmaj7, A♭min(maj7). They are the same chord.
What is the difference between Cm(maj7) and Cm7?
Cm7 has a minor seventh, B♭, and Cm(maj7) has a major seventh, B. The B sits one semitone higher, so the chord sounds brighter and more tense against the root. Both keep the minor third and fifth. The one changed note separates a soft minor seventh from a harmonic minor tonic.
Where does the minor-major seventh chord appear?
It appears most often on the tonic of harmonic minor, where the raised seventh of the key gives a major seventh above the root. In A minor it is A, C, E and G♯. It is also heard in jazz and film music as a dark tonic colour. The chord is a tonic, so it rests rather than pulls.
Why is it called minor-major?
The name lists both qualities. The minor refers to the triad, which has a minor third, and the major refers to the seventh, which is a major seventh. Cm(maj7) therefore means a minor chord with a major seventh, not a major chord with a minor seventh.