Major Line Cliché (I Imaj7 I7 IV)
The Major line cliche is the chord progression I-Imaj7-I7-IV. In the key of C major it is C Cmaj7 C7 F, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 1 1(maj7) 1(7) 4.
Chords from outside the key of C major: C7.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
The tonic chord stays put while one inner voice falls by half steps, from the root to the major seventh to the flat seventh. That flat seventh turns the chord into V7 of IV, so the line slides smoothly into the IV. It sounds tender and gently moving, and it is built from the major scale plus one chromatic note.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Something | The Beatles | verse | C Cmaj7 C7 F | C major |
| Bridge Over Troubled Water | Simon & Garfunkel | verse | C Cmaj7 C7 F with capo 3, sounding Eb Ebmaj7 Eb7 Ab | Eb major |
| Can't Take My Eyes Off You | Frankie Valli | verse after the key change | F Fmaj7 F7 Bb with capo 2, sounding G Gmaj7 G7 C | G major |
| Hey Jude | The Beatles | bridge (And anytime you feel the pain), labelled chorus on UG | F Fmaj7 F7 Bb | F major |
Major Line Cliché: Chords and Audio in C, G, D, A and E
Press play to hear each key. The diagrams show the shapes used in the audio, and every chord links to its full page.
More progressions like this one
- bIII-V7 cadence: Eb G7 C
- Mixolydian I-v-IV: C Gm F
- I-bVII-IV: C Bb F
- I-II-IV-I: C D F C
All guitar chord progressions →
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the chords of the Major line cliche in each key?
In C major: C Cmaj7 C7 F. In G major: G Gmaj7 G7 C. In D major: D Dmaj7 D7 G. In A major: A Amaj7 A7 D. In E major: E Emaj7 E7 A.
Which songs use the Major line cliche?
Songs that use it include Something by The Beatles, Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel, Can't Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli.
