What notes are in a G♭maj7 chord?

G♭maj7 contains four notes: G♭ (root), B♭ (major third), D♭ (perfect fifth), and F (major seventh).

Is G♭maj7 the same as F♯maj7?

Yes, enharmonically — same four pitches. G♭maj7 has six flats; F♯maj7 has six sharps. They're identical in sound and equally valid notationally.

How is G♭maj7 different from G♭7?

Only the seventh changes. G♭maj7 has F natural; G♭7 has F♭ (= E). The half-step turns a stable, dreamy chord into a tense, dominant one that wants to resolve to C♭ (= B).

Where does G♭maj7 appear in jazz?

In any jazz tune in G♭ major or with G♭-major modulations. "Lush Life" by Billy Strayhorn passes through G♭-major colours; many ballads modulate to G♭ for the bridge specifically because G♭maj7 has such a distinct lush colour.

Gb major 7 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

G♭ major 7 (G♭maj7) — G♭, B♭, D♭, F — is G♭ major with a major 7th on top. The six-flat key signature is dense but the chord's sound is lush and far-removed from the bright energy of sharp-side maj7 chords. G♭maj7 is enharmonic to F♯maj7; composers choose based on surrounding harmony.

Intervals

The Gb major 7 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

Gb→Bbmajor 3rd4 semitones
Bb→Dbminor 3rd3 semitones
Db→Fmajor 3rd4 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the Gb major 7 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the Gb major 7 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

G♭maj7 has F natural as its 7th — a half-step higher than G♭7 (which has F♭, enharmonic to E natural). The maj7 / dom7 distinction is crucial; the F natural sits a half-step from the root G♭, giving the chord its lush, slightly bittersweet character. Most jazz charts in flat-side keys use G♭maj7 directly; sharp-key contexts respell as F♯maj7.

In context

G♭maj7 is the I chord in G♭ major. The ii–V–I cadence runs A♭m7 → D♭7 → G♭maj7. Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" and many other modal jazz tunes drift through G♭maj7 voicings. In late-Romantic music, G♭maj7 often appears as a chromatic-mediant approach to D major or E♭ minor.

Drill it

The Gb major 7 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

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Frequently asked

What notes are in a G♭maj7 chord?: G♭maj7 contains four notes: G♭ (root), B♭ (major third), D♭ (perfect fifth), and F (major seventh).
Is G♭maj7 the same as F♯maj7?: Yes, enharmonically — same four pitches. G♭maj7 has six flats; F♯maj7 has six sharps. They're identical in sound and equally valid notationally.
How is G♭maj7 different from G♭7?: Only the seventh changes. G♭maj7 has F natural; G♭7 has F♭ (= E). The half-step turns a stable, dreamy chord into a tense, dominant one that wants to resolve to C♭ (= B).
Where does G♭maj7 appear in jazz?: In any jazz tune in G♭ major or with G♭-major modulations. "Lush Life" by Billy Strayhorn passes through G♭-major colours; many ballads modulate to G♭ for the bridge specifically because G♭maj7 has such a distinct lush colour.