Learn › Cmaj7 Chord on Piano, Left Hand
New Released in April 2026
Cmaj7 Chord on Piano, Left Hand
Play Cmaj7 with the left hand on C, E, G and B, in the octave below middle C, fingers 5 3 2 1. Below you find the shape, five accompaniment patterns and a progression where the hand barely moves.
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- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
Where the left hand plays Cmaj7
Play each position slowly, then name the bottom note: that note is what the listener hears as the bass. All 4 notes are white keys, so the hand lies flat.
| Position | Notes, bottom up | Fingers |
|---|---|---|
| Root position | C E G B | 5 3 2 1 |
| 1st inversion | E G B C | 5 3 2 1 |
| 2nd inversion | G B C E | 5 3 2 1 |
| 3rd inversion | B C E G | 5 4 2 1 |
Cmaj7 → Am7 → Dm7 → G7 with a quiet left hand
Each chord takes the position closest to the one before. Notes that two chords share stay under the same finger.
| Chord | Left hand plays | Keys that stay |
|---|---|---|
| Cmaj7 | C E G B (Root position) | starting chord |
| Am7 | C E G A (1st inversion) | C E G |
| Dm7 | C D F A (3rd inversion) | C A |
| G7 | B D F G (1st inversion) | D F |
Practise left-hand Cmaj7
- Find C below middle C with finger 5 and drop the hand on C, E, G and B.
- Go through the patterns in the order of the table: block chord; shell: root and seventh; root, third and seventh; walk up the chord; root and fifth.
- Loop Cmaj7 → Am7 → Dm7 → G7 with the positions above, eyes on the music, not on the hand.
- Last, add a simple right-hand note on top: the left hand should keep going on its own.
Short daily practice wins: the left hand learns by repetition, not by long sessions.
Five left-hand patterns on Cmaj7
Each pattern uses only notes of Cmaj7, so none of them can sound wrong.
| Pattern | Notes | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Block chord | C+E+G+B | learning a new song, hymns |
| Shell: root and seventh | C+B | comping under a singer |
| Root, third and seventh | C+E+B | jazz and soul, the full colour in three keys |
| Walk up the chord | C E G B | linking chords, a bass that sings |
| Root and fifth | C+G | rock and pop, a full bass with two fingers |
What the right hand plays over Cmaj7
The right hand can play the melody using C E G B: those keys always fit over Cmaj7.
Keep the right hand above middle C so the two hands never crowd the same keys.
Test your left hand in a game
Practise reading the symbol and finding the chord fast: ChordRunner gives you one chord after another, with MIDI or microphone, and adds harder chord types level by level.
Play the demoCommon questions
How do you play Cmaj7 on piano with the left hand?
Put finger 5 on C below middle C and play C, E, G and B with fingers 5 3 2 1.
Which Cmaj7 position is best for the left hand?
The one closest to the next chord. In Cmaj7 → Am7 → Dm7 → G7 the hand plays Cmaj7 = C E G B; Am7 = C E G A; Dm7 = C D F A; G7 = B D F G.
Why are left-hand fingers different from the right hand for Cmaj7?
Because the hand is mirrored: the little finger (5) sits on the bottom note C and the thumb on top. The right hand would play the same notes with 1 2 3 5.
Does a game count Cmaj7 if I play it low with the left hand?
In ChordRunner, yes: the game listens for the notes C, E, G and B, not for a hand or an octave. Use a USB MIDI keyboard, or the microphone with a real piano.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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