Chord Shapes

Major 7th Inversion

Same chord tones as a root-position maj7 (1-3-5-7), but with 3rd, 5th or 7th in the bass. Inversions change the feel: first inversion tends to sound particularly smooth and is common in pop and jazz piano to keep bass lines stepwise; second inversion emphasises the 5th and is useful for pedal points and arpeggios; third inversion (7 in the bass) feels the most unstable and can be used as a passing or approach sonority into other chords. Combining maj7 inversions with added 9ths or 6ths allows very characteristic inner voice-leading typical of standards and ballads.