C♯ minor seventh chord (C♯m7)

C♯ minor seventh is a 4-note minor seventh chord: C♯ – E – G♯ – B. It sounds relaxed, warm and a little melancholic. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio. Also called D♭ minor seventh (D♭m7).

NotesC♯ – E – G♯ – B
Formula1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7
SymbolC♯m7 · C♯min7 · C♯-7
EnharmonicD♭ minor seventh (D♭m7)

C♯ minor seventh on guitar

Barre at fret 4 (A shape)
Barre at fret 9 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (barre at fret 4)

Barre fret 4 with your index finger, from the 5th to the 1st string.
Finger 3 (ring) on fret 6 of the 4th string (D).
Finger 2 (middle) on fret 5 of the 2nd string (B).
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♯ minor 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♯ minor seventh on ukulele

Open position
From fret 4

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♯ minor seventh

C♯1 · root
E♭3 · minor third
G♯5 · perfect fifth
B♭7 · minor seventh

It's the second degree of the jazz ii–V–I progression and shows up in salsa, funk, neo soul and pop.

Progressions with C♯m7

The ii–V–I: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7

C♯m7 is the second degree of B major.

Two-chord vamp: i7 – IV7

A typical funk, soul and salsa groove.

Which keys contain C♯ minor seventh?

C♯m7 belongs to 6 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
E major	vi7
A major	iii7
B major	ii7
C♯ natural minor	i7
F♯ natural minor	v7
G♯ natural minor	iv7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯ minor seventh chord?

C♯ minor seventh (C♯m7) has 4 notes: C♯ (root), E (minor third), G♯ (perfect fifth), B (minor seventh).

How do you play C♯ minor seventh on guitar?

The most common shape uses a barre at fret 4: x 4 6 4 5 4 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Barre strings 5 through 1 at fret 4 with your index finger. Place finger 3 (ring) at fret 6 on the 4th string (D). Place finger 2 (middle) at fret 5 on the 2nd string (B). Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

Is C♯m7 the same as D♭m7?

Yes: C♯ minor seventh and D♭ minor seventh sound and are played the same (they are enharmonic). The spelling depends on the song's key; you'll see both names in sheet music and songbooks.

How do you write C sharp minor seventh as a chord symbol?

It's written C♯m7; you'll also see C♯min7 or C♯-7. Letter notation names the notes C, D, E, F, G, A and B.

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