A major seventh sharp five chord, also commonly called an augmented major seventh chord, is composed using a root/1st, major 3rd, augmented 5th and major 7th (or R/1-3-♯5-7) intervals played simultaneously. Generally written as CMA7(♯5) or C⁺(ma7), it is good practice to use an uppercase C, followed by the uppercase letters MA then a super scripted 7(♯5) to represent it in writing (ie: CMA7(♯5)).
The tonality of the major seventh sharp five chord is dissonant and unresolved, it does not particularly drive towards the root, but can be used in place of an augmented triad.
Major seventh, minor seventh, dominant seventh and minor seventh flat five tetrads occur naturally in the harmonized major scale (tetrads), a major seventh sharp five tetrad is simply an augmented triad with an added major 7th interval.
Major seventh sharp five chord profile
| Intervals | root/1st, major 3rd, augmented 5th, major 7th or R/1-3-♯5-7 |
|---|---|
| Stability | Dissonant, unstable, unresolved |
| Grouping class | Tetrad |
| Common names (examples in C) | CMA7(♯5), C⁺(maj7), CΔ7(♯5) |
Chord shapes/voicings
Major seventh sharp five chord table
| Chord name | Root | Major third | Augmented fifth | Major seventh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMA7(♯5) | C | E | G♯ | B |
| C♯MA7(♯5) | C♯ | E♯ (F) | G (A) |
B♯ (C) |
| D♭MA7(♯5) | D♭ | F | A | C |
| DMA7(♯5) | D | F♯ | A♯ | C♯ |
| D♯MA7(♯5) | D♯ | F (G) |
A (B) |
C (D) |
| E♭MA7(♯5) | E♭ | G | B | D |
| EMA7(♯5) | E | G♯ | B♯ (C) | D♯ |
| FMA7(♯5) | F | A | C♯ | E |
| F♯MA7(♯5) | F♯ | A♯ | C (D) |
E♯ (F) |
| G♭MA7(♯5) | G♭ | B♭ | D | F |
| GMA7(♯5) | G | B | D♯ | F♯ |
| G♯MA7(♯5) | G♯ | B♯ (C) | D (E) |
F (G) |
| A♭MA7(♯5) | A♭ | C | E | G |
| AMA7(♯5) | A | C♯ | E♯ (F) | G♯ |
| A♯MA7(♯5) | A♯ | C (D) |
E (F♯) |
G (A) |
| B♭MA7(♯5) | B♭ | F♯ | A | |
| BMA7(♯5) | B | D♯ | F (G) |
A♯ |
Audio sample(s)
| D Major seventh sharp five chord voicing #1 |
|---|
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