As the ii in a ii-V-IB major
- ii7C♯m7
- V7F♯7
- Imaj7Bmaj7
The standard cadence: C♯m7 carries the subdominant function before the dominant arrives.
C♯m7 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♯m7 chord is a minor seventh chord built on the root note C♯. Its notes are C♯, E, G♯ and B. It's enharmonically the same chord as D♭m7.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Minor seventh chords are smooth and neutral, softer than a plain minor triad. They're a staple of jazz, funk and neo-soul, where they add motion without heavy tension.
- Notes
- C♯ · E · G♯ · B
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10
- Note
- C♯
- Quality
- Minor 7
- Symbol
- C♯m7
C♯m7 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C♯m7 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C♯, index finger on E, middle finger on G♯ and little finger on B. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard C♯ and G♯ are black keys and E and B are white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♯1
- E♭3
- G♯5
- B♭7
C♯m7 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♯m7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 9: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
C♯ · E · G♯ · B
Try C♯m7 on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
C♯m7 chord notes
Also known as D♭m7
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♯(C#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | E | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♯(G#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B |
How to use the C♯m7 chord
The C♯m7 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root C♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C♯, E, G♯ and B. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor seventh chords are foundational in jazz, funk, neo-soul and R&B. They're typically the iim7, iiim7 or vim7 chord of a major key and the i7 of a minor key.
In major keys C♯m7 is the iii7 in A major, the vi7 in E major and the ii7 in B major; in minor keys it's the v7 in F♯ minor, the i7 in C♯ minor and the iv7 in G♯ minor.
How C♯m7 differs from similar chords
C♯m7 puts a minor seventh on a minor triad, which separates it from C♯m(maj7), whose seventh is a half step higher and much sharper. Compared with C♯m7♭5, it keeps a perfect fifth, so it sounds relaxed rather than tense. Its upper three notes form the major triad a minor third above the root, which is why it blends so easily with major chords.
Where C♯m7 is used
A minor chord works as the tonic of its own key, and as the vi or the ii of a major one. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
As the vi in a major keyE major
- Imaj7Emaj7
- vi7C♯m7
- ii7F♯m7
- V7B7
A turnaround. C♯m7 is the relative minor of E, which softens the way back to the tonic.
As a modal tonicC♯ minor
A modal vamp - C♯m7 is home, and the loop never resolves away from it.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C♯m7 chord?
- The C♯m7 chord contains C♯, E, G♯ and B (C#, E, G# and B in plain text).
- Is the C♯m7 chord major or minor?
- C♯m7 is a minor seventh chord. Minor seventh chords are smooth and neutral, softer than a plain minor triad. They're a staple of jazz, funk and neo-soul, where they add motion without heavy tension.
- What key is the C♯m7 chord in?
- In major keys C♯m7 is the iii7 in A major, the vi7 in E major and the ii7 in B major; in minor keys it's the v7 in F♯ minor, the i7 in C♯ minor and the iv7 in G♯ minor.
- How do you play C♯m7 on piano?
- Place your fingers on C♯, E, G♯ and B and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard C♯ and G♯ are black keys and E and B are white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play C♯m7 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 9: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the C♯m7 chord?
- C♯m7 is enharmonically equivalent to D♭m7. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.