What's the difference between G# major and G#maj7?

G#maj7 adds G natural, the note a half step below the octave, giving the plain G# major triad a softer, unresolved shimmer instead of a fully settled sound.

Why does G#maj7 use an open G string?

The open G string's natural pitch happens to be exactly the major seventh this chord needs, letting the voicing stay more compact than it would if every note had to be fretted.

Is there a simpler substitute for G#maj7?

Muting the open G string and playing only the three fretted notes gives a workable three-note shortcut, trading some fullness for a slightly easier reach.

← Ukulele Chords

G#maj7 Chord on Ukulele

G#maj7 = G# – C – D# – G (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 7th)

G#maj7 swaps the dominant seventh's flat-seven color for a major seventh — G natural — sitting just a half step below the root, and on ukulele the resulting shape is unusually compact for a maj7 chord: leave the G string open for the seventh itself, fret the C string at the third for the fifth, the E string at the fourth for the root, and the A string at the third for the third, keeping the whole voicing inside a narrow three-fret window despite reaching a major seventh interval.

As the tonic maj7 chord of G# major (more commonly notated Ab major in standard charts), this voicing replaces the plain triad's settled finality with a dreamier, suspended color, but its more useful real-world role on ukulele is as a borrowed bVI-type color chord inside B major or E major progressions, adding a lush, unexpected richness before the harmony returns to its home key. That borrowed usage puts G#maj7 in a similar family of moves to F#maj7's plagal color inside C# major discussed elsewhere in this key group, though the two chords serve different specific keys and arrive by different harmonic routes. Because the G string rings open here, G#maj7 keeps a touch more resonance than a fully closed maj7 shape would, softening what's already a soft-sounding chord even further.

Fingerings

Open Position

How to Practice It

With the G string left open and three fretted notes clustered between the third and fourth frets, the main challenge is keeping the C and A strings' third-fret notes from bleeding into each other despite being non-adjacent — use separate fingers for each and check the open G string isn't muted by a finger reaching too far across the neck. Practice fretting the three closed notes as a single coordinated shape, since there's no barre to lean on for simplification. If the reach feels awkward at first, try the chord with the G string simply left unplayed (muted) as a three-note shortcut, which loses some fullness but keeps the essential harmony intact.

Common Progressions

Imaj7 – IV – V, using G#maj7 as a tonic color chord in G#/Ab major
bVI(maj7) – V – I, a lush borrowed-color cadence in B major
bVI(maj7) – I, giving E major an unexpected richness before resolving
G#maj7 substituting for a plain G# triad at a phrase's soft landing

FAQ

What's the difference between G# major and G#maj7?: G#maj7 adds G natural, the note a half step below the octave, giving the plain G# major triad a softer, unresolved shimmer instead of a fully settled sound.
Why does G#maj7 use an open G string?: The open G string's natural pitch happens to be exactly the major seventh this chord needs, letting the voicing stay more compact than it would if every note had to be fretted.
Where does G#maj7 fit harmonically?: Most usefully as a borrowed bVI-type color chord inside B major or E major progressions, adding a lush, unexpected richness before the harmony returns to its home key.
Is there a simpler substitute for G#maj7?: Muting the open G string and playing only the three fretted notes gives a workable three-note shortcut, trading some fullness for a slightly easier reach.

G#maj7 on other instruments: G#maj7 on Guitar, G#maj7 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.