C seventh chord (C7)

C seventh is a 4-note dominant seventh chord: C – E – G – B♭. It sounds tense: it wants to resolve to another chord. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio.

NotesC – E – G – B♭
Formula1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7
SymbolC7 · Cdom7
TypeDominant seventh chord

C seventh on guitar

Open position
Barre at fret 3 (A shape)
Barre at fret 8 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (open position)

Place finger 3 (ring) at fret 3 on the 5th string (A).
Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of the 4th string (D).
Finger 4 (pinky) on fret 3 of the 3rd string (G).
Place finger 1 (index) at fret 1 on string 2 (B).
Play the 1st string open.
Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (C). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

C seventh on piano

In root position, play C – E – G – B♭ from bottom to top with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 of your right hand. With your left hand you usually play just the root (C) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: E – G – B♭ – C
Second inversion: G – B♭ – C – E
Third inversion: B♭ – C – E – G

C seventh on ukulele

Open position
From fret 3

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of C seventh

C1 · root
E3 · major third
G5 · perfect fifth
B♭♭7 · minor seventh

It's the dominant chord (V7): it sets up the arrival at the tonic and is the foundation of blues, son and many song endings.

Progressions with C7

A dominant that resolves: V7 – I

C7
F

C7 is the fifth degree of F major: its tension wants to resolve to F.

The ii–V–I: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7

The most common cadence in jazz and bossa nova.

Which keys contain C seventh?

C7 belongs to 2 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
F major	V7
D natural minor	VII7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C seventh chord?

C seventh (C7) has 4 notes: C (root), E (major third), G (perfect fifth), B♭ (minor seventh).

How do you play C seventh on guitar?

The easiest shape is in open position: x 3 2 3 1 0 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Finger 3 (ring) on fret 3 of the 5th string (A). Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of the 4th string (D). Finger 4 (pinky) on fret 3 of the 3rd string (G). Finger 1 (index) on fret 1 of the 2nd string (B). Play the 1st string open. Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th string.

How do you write C seventh as a chord symbol?

It's written C7; you may also see Cdom7. Letter-name notation uses C, D, E, F, G, A, and B for the notes do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and si, respectively.

Want to play whole songs?

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