C#m7 cavaquinho chord
C#m7 (C sharp minor seventh) is built from C#, E, G# and B, the degrees 1–b3–5–b7. On cavaquinho, the main shape is 2 4 2 2, the first diagram, marked with the star.
C#m7 is C#mC#mC#mC#m with its shoulders down: the same serious subject, told calmly. Give the audio below a listen and hear the change in tone of voice.
Hear C#m7 before you play
Why C#m7 sounds this way
The recipe: take the C#m you know — C#, E, G# — and add B on top. Now listen to the arpeggio, one note at a time and wait for the fourth note. It doesn't make the chord happy; it takes the weight off its shoulders. That's why bossa nova, neo-soul and the whole of R&B live here.
How to play C#m7 on cavaquinho
On the cavaquinho, four steel strings tuned D–G–B–D pack the chord into a small, bright space — every finger counts. So start with the first position below — it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. Four notes sharing the same space, so there's one rule: every single one has to ring. Play it slowly, listen for each voice. A muffled chord here is a double waste.
In the app: 9 C#m7 shapes on cavaquinho
With the fingering and audio of each one, free. In the app, the arpeggio of each shape is part of Pro.
Precision Tuner: Get in tune before you play: chromatic tuner and reference tones, free in standard tuning · open in Chord and Fret
Mid-neck positions are the favorites of anyone backing a singer: they leave the treble free for the voice. File it away for that day.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
C#m7 notes and degrees
C#m7 stacks the root C#, the minor third E, the perfect fifth G# and the minor seventh B.
Where C#m7 shows up
Here's the backstage secret: C#m7's classic job is being the ii — the first piece of the ii–V–I, the most-used sentence in jazz and everything jazz ever touched. Across keys you'll find it as i7 in C# minor, v7 in F# minor, iv7 in G# minor. In other words: this chord is almost never standing still; it's setting something up.
Transpose & Capo: Need it in another key? Transpose the progression for free; finding the best capo is part of Pro · use it in Chord and Fret
Identify Chord: Found a shape on your fretboard? Mark it on the screen and the app names the chord, 5 times a day for free · see it in Chord and Fret
Where C#m7 usually goes
Treating C#m7 as the home chord (i) of a minor key, it tends to go toward the pre-dominant (F#m7) or the dominant (G#7, from harmonic minor), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
Going beyond C#m7
For improvising, C# Dorian (C# D# E F# G# A# B · 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7: the minor scale with a major sixth — the minor that smirks); C# Aeolian (C# D# E F# G# A B · 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7: the natural minor, the major scale's relative sibling); C# Dorian ♭2 (C# D E F# G# A# B · 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7: a dorian with a lowered second) contain the whole chord. And the jazz shapes at the bottom are these same four notes rearranged across the neck: same chord, arranger's polish.
C# Dorian
In the app: the 7 positions of C# Dorian on cavaquinho
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same C# Dorian in its main shapes along the neck — pick whichever position sits under your hand. The rings mark the guide notes (the 3rd and 7th) that carry this chord's color.
Scale: The scale's positions across the neck, with degree, note and finger labels, free; playing the scale and the tempo-ramp exercise are part of Pro · open in Chord and Fret
Scales to improvise over C#m7
To improvise over C#m7 as home, the C# Aeolian scale covers it whole: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. And when the dominant (G#) pulls back, the leading tone C is the note that wants to resolve home.
Swaps that work:
Reharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · try it in Chord and Fret
Remember I said it's setting something up? This is it: F#7. Play C#m7 → F#7 and you've just built half a ii–V — the gear that's been turning jazz for a hundred years.
C#m7 chord questions
What notes are in the C#m7 chord?
The C#m7 chord is made of the notes C#, E, G# and B.
How do you play C#m7 on cavaquinho?
Form the shape from string 4 to string 1: 2 4 2 2. The shape starts at fret 2.
What chord comes after C#m7?
Treating C#m7 as the home chord (i) of a minor key, it tends to go toward the pre-dominant (F#m7) or the dominant (G#7, from harmonic minor), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
What scale works over C#m7?
To improvise over C#m7 as home, the C# Aeolian scale covers it whole: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.