C#7 guitar chord
C#7 (C sharp seventh) is built from C#, E#, G# and B, the degrees 1–3–5–b7. On guitar, the main shape is x 4 6 4 6 4, the first diagram, marked with the star.
A doorbell ringing with nobody answering. A phone buzzing face-down on the table. Some things only exist to be resolved — C#7 is their musical version. Press play down there and feel the unfinished business.
Hear C#7 before you play
Why C#7 sounds this way
Why does it sound unfinished? Inside C#7, two notes are arguing: F and B. Go back to the audio and catch the arpeggio note by note and catch the second and the last note — the distance between them is the tritone, one of the tensest intervals in tonal music. C# and G# keep the house standing while those two argue inside it. And an argument, you know, demands a resolution.
How to play C#7 on guitar
On the guitar, six strings give the chord room to breathe — some positions use them all, others ask you to mute the lowest ones. So grab the first position below; it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. Now the experiment that explains this chord better than any explanation: play C#7, count to three, then play F#. Felt the door close? Do it again. That relief is the dominant's job.
In the app: 36 C#7 shapes on guitar
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 · use it in Chord and Fret
The other positions earn their keep in blues and jazz, where this chord is practically the official language; learn them one at a time.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
C#7 notes and degrees
C#7 stacks the root C#, the major third E#, the perfect fifth G# and the minor seventh B.
Where C#7 shows up
Its most common job is the dominant, and dominants live as VII7 in D# minor, V7 in F# major. Translation: wherever it shows up, the music is usually about to move. In the blues, though, C#7 can also be the home chord. A chart full of 7th chords is a song that won't sit still.
Transpose & Capo: Need it in another key? Transpose the progression for free; finding the best capo is part of Pro · see 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 · try it in Chord and Fret
Where C#7 usually goes
When C#7 works as the dominant of F#, it usually resolves to F# or F#mF#mF#mF#m. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, C#7 can be the home chord itself. It's a tendency, not a law.
Going beyond C#7
For soloing, C# Mixolydian (C# D# E# F# G# A# B · 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7: the major scale with a lowered seventh — the blues accent); C# Lydian dominant (C# D# E# F## G# A# B · 1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7: a mixolydian with a raised fourth: the dominant in formalwear) cover the whole chord. And look at the first swap on the list below: that's the famous tritone substitution, the twin dominant living three whole steps from here, the one arrangers reach for when they want to arrive at the same place by a prettier road.
C# Mixolydian
In the app: the 7 positions of C# Mixolydian on guitar
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same C# Mixolydian 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.
Scales to improvise over C#7
The C# Mixolydian scale is a common choice over C#7: no chord tone is left out of it. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. When C#7 moves to F#, its third, E#, is the leading tone of F#: the note that wants to rise a half step.
Swaps that work:
- G7G7G7G7 — Tritone substitution (shared 3rd–7th tritone)
- G#m7G#m7G#m7G#m7 — Forms a II–V: precede with this ii
- Ddim7 — Passing diminished (ascending)
Reharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · open in Chord and Fret
C#7 jazz voicings
Jazz Lab: Drop 2 voicings in any key, free; drop 3 and shell are part of Pro · use it in Chord and Fret
The question this page asked has a one-click answer: F#. Don't end the day without playing both in a row.
C#7 chord questions
What notes are in the C#7 chord?
The C#7 chord is made of the notes C#, E#, G# and B.
How do you play C#7 on guitar?
Form the shape from string 6 to string 1: x 4 6 4 6 4. “x” means that string does not sound. The shape starts at fret 4.
What chord comes after C#7?
When C#7 works as the dominant of F#, it usually resolves to F# or F#m. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, C#7 can be the home chord itself.
What scale works over C#7?
The C# Mixolydian scale is a common choice over C#7: no chord tone is left out of it. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.