Mu major chord
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A mu major chord (signified by ų)is a somewhat unconventional name for an "add 2" or "add 9" chord. It is formed by adding a 2nd to a major triad; in other words, it is a chord constructed from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th degrees of the major scale. The mu major chord differs from a sus2 chord as a sus2 chord does not contain a 3rd.
Often, the mu major chord is voiced with the root (1) in the bass, and 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 1st in the upper register. Part of its "sound" is the presence of two "stacked" fourths in the upper register, between 2-5 and 5-1 (although this is softened by the presence of the major third). This stacked fourths feature, also called "quartal" harmony, is more obvious when the mu major is voiced with the 3rd in the bass, and the 2nd, 5th and 1st above. The chord can be also be voiced with the 9th (2nd) in the bass, although such voicings are generally known as "slash chords".
Origin of the name
The reference to this chord as "mu major" has been popularized by fans of the Pop/Jazz group Steely Dan, as well as by the band members themselves. This chord is used extensively in their work, often arpeggiated at the end of musical phrases. The "mu major sound" is a distinctive idiom of Steely Dan's style. In a 1989 interview with Paul Zollo[1], Walter Becker explained that the use of the chord developed from trying to enrich the sound of a major chord without making it into a "jazz chord". They used it so often that it became a signature sound for the band. The reason they called it "mu major" is now forgotten, but the whole business of naming the chord was meant as a joke about the band's perceived self-importance.