Banjo Cmaj7 chord (Open G)C major seventh on the 5-string banjo: 2 4 1 2, and 3 more shapes

Cmaj7 chord chart for 5-string banjo in Open G tuning: 2 4 1 2, first position, with the short 5th string marked
Cmaj7 (C major seventh) on the 5-string banjo, Open G: 2 4 1 2, string 4 to string 1. Fingers are numbered on the dots; copper marks the root; the green ring on the left is the 5th string, solid when it’s in the chord.

Frets, string 4 to string 1: 2 4 1 2 (first position)

  1. String 4 (D): 2nd fret, middle finger, E
  2. String 3 (G): 4th fret, little finger, B
  3. String 2 (B): 1st fret, index finger, C
  4. String 1 (D): 2nd fret, ring finger, E
  5. String 5, the short g: open, G, in the chord

Sounds: E B C E  ·  Cmaj7 is C, E, G, B (1 · 3 · 5 · 7)

The 5th string: the short g is the 5th of Cmaj7, so let it ring.

With a capo: on the 5th fret it’s 0 0 0 4 (frets counted from the capo), an open Gmaj7 shape. Spike the 5th string at the 10th fret to keep it in tune with the capo.

Open G tuning: gDGBD, the short 5th string first, then strings 4 to 1.

Hear it in the app ›

The app starts in open G, so it opens on these shapes.

More Cmaj7 shapes

  1. 5fr1114gGCEB5 5 5 9
    5fr
  2. 8fr4213gCEGB10 9 8 9
    8fr
  3. 10fr1234gCGBE10 12 12 14
    10fr

Other C chords in Open G

CCmC7Cm7Cmaj7C6Csus4Csus2CdimCaug

Other major seventh chords

Gmaj7Amaj7Dmaj7Cmaj7Bmaj7Emaj7Fmaj7B♭maj7

Cmaj7 in other tunings

Double CSawmillOpen DC Tuning

All Open G banjo chords · Printable chart (PDF) · How to tune · The app