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C♯ Major 7th Guitar Chord (C♯maj7)

C♯maj7 nearly always appears as D♭maj7, parked at the top of a soul ballad. x43111, index flat across the top three, two fingers behind it.

C♯maj7 splurges on truffle oil.

C♯maj7 chord shapes in standard tuning

open string × muted / not played 1–4 suggested finger 3fr shape starts at fret 3 R · 3 · 5 · ♭7 chord tone each string sounds
C♯maj7 guitar chord diagram, Barre · 1fr, frets x-4-3-1-1-1×3R231573
Barre · 1fr
x-4-3-1-1-1
C♯maj7 guitar chord diagram, Barre · 4fr, frets x-4-6-5-6-44fr×1R3527435
Barre · 4fr
x-4-6-5-6-4
C♯maj7 guitar chord diagram, Barre · 6fr, frets 9-8-6-6-6-86fr4R2315R337
Barre · 6fr
9-8-6-6-6-8
C♯maj7 guitar chord diagram, Barre · 9fr, frets 9-11-10-10-9-99fr1R4527335R
Barre · 9fr
9-11-10-10-9-9

How to play it

Lay your index finger flat across the top 3 strings (from the G (3rd) string up) at fret 1. That barre is the backbone of this C♯maj7 shape. Then add your middle finger on the D (4th) string at fret 3 and your ring finger on the A (5th) string at fret 4. Keep the low E (6th) string out of the strum. Start your downstroke from the A (5th) string.

Notes in this chord

SymbolIntervalNote
RrootC♯
3major thirdE♯ (same pitch as F)
5perfect fifthG♯
7major seventhB♯ (same pitch as C)

C♯maj7 FAQ

What notes are in C♯maj7?
C♯maj7 contains C♯, E♯, G♯, and B♯. That's the root (C♯), the major third, the perfect fifth, and the major seventh.

Is C♯maj7 a barre chord?
The most common C♯maj7 shape (x-4-3-1-1-1) is a barre chord. Your index finger bars fret 1 across 3 strings. There is no standard open-position shape for this chord in standard tuning, but the diagrams above include every practical alternative up the neck.

What is the easiest way to play C♯maj7 on guitar?
Start with the barre · 1fr shape x-4-3-1-1-1. Lay your index finger flat across the top 3 strings (from the G (3rd) string up) at fret 1. That barre is the backbone of this C♯maj7 shape. Then add your middle finger on the D (4th) string at fret 3 and your ring finger on the A (5th) string at fret 4. Keep the low E (6th) string out of the strum. Start your downstroke from the A (5th) string.