C♯m7 chord on guitar

C♯m7 is C♯, E, G♯ and B. The usual shape is x-4-2-1-0-0. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.

How to play C♯m7 on guitar

Shape 1, x-4-2-1-0-0, reading from the low E string on the left:

1. Index finger: G string, 1st fret (G♯).
2. Middle finger: D string, 2nd fret (E).
3. Ring finger: A string, 4th fret (C♯).
4. Let the open B and high E strings ring (B and E).
5. Don't play the low E string: start your strum on the A string.

• Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.
• The shape stretches across four frets. Bring your thumb lower behind the neck to open the hand up.

Other ways to play C♯m7

• 9-11-9-9-9-9: barre shape at the 9th fret, medium. Root on the 6th string: move it up or down and it names a different minor seventh chord.
• x-4-6-4-5-4: barre shape at the 4th fret, medium. The root is on the A string; it's the Am7 shape moved up the neck.

C♯m7 the capo way

With a capo you can skip the harder shapes: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open Bm7 shape (x-2-0-2-0-2) or capo on the 4th fret and play the open Am7 shape (x-0-2-0-1-0). Everything above the capo is fingered exactly like the open chord.

Changing from C♯m7 to the chords around it

Songs rarely hold C♯m7 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

• F♯7 (V in B major): C♯m7 (x-4-2-1-0-0) to F♯7 (2-4-2-3-2-2): your ring finger stays put, the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 2nd fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 3rd fret. The two chords share C♯ and E, which is why the change sounds smooth. F♯7 on guitar
• Emaj7 (IV in B major): C♯m7 (x-4-2-1-0-0) to Emaj7 (0-2-1-1-0-0): the index finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 1st fret, your ring finger lands on the A string, 2nd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share E, G♯ and B, which is why the change sounds smooth. Emaj7 on guitar
• Bmaj7 (I in B major): C♯m7 (x-4-2-1-0-0) to Bmaj7 (x-2-4-3-4-2): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 2nd fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 3rd fret, the ring finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, the pinky finger comes down on the B string, 4th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. B carries over from one chord to the other. Bmaj7 on guitar

C♯m7 is a minor seventh chord: a minor triad plus a minor seventh. C♯m7 is the easy-going minor, common as the ii chord right before a dominant seventh. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Practice C♯m7 in two minutes

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: C♯, E, G♯, B, E. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Finish by moving between x-4-2-1-0-0 and 9-11-9-9-9-9 to learn two positions of the same chord.

D♭m7 is another spelling of C♯m7. Same shape, same sound.

Keys and progressions with C♯m7

• ii7 in B major
• iii7 in A major
• vi7 in E major
• i7 in C♯ minor
• iv7 in G♯ minor
• v7 in F♯ minor

In B major, ii–V–I on guitar is C♯m7 (x-4-2-1-0-0), F♯7 (2-4-2-3-2-2) and Bmaj7 (x-2-4-3-4-2). About the jazz cadence.

C♯m7 on piano and ukulele

The same notes on another instrument: C♯m7 on piano and C♯m7 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.

Close to C♯m7

• C♯m
• C♯7
• C♯m6
• C♯m7♭5
• C♯maj7

Other minor seventh chords

• Cm7
• Dm7
• E♭m7
• Em7
• Fm7
• F♯m7
• Gm7
• G♯m7
• Am7
• B♭m7
• Bm7

Every shape above plays only C♯, E, G♯ and B, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026. Print this chord