As a harmonic-minor tonicC♯ minor
The raised seventh inside the tonic is what lets G♯7 work as a real dominant in a minor key.
C♯m(maj7) Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♯m(maj7) chord is a minor major seventh chord built on the root note C♯. Its notes are C♯, E, G♯ and B♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as D♭m(maj7).
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Minor major seventh chords are unsettling in a beautiful way. A major seventh over a minor triad creates a sharp, unresolved edge best known from spy themes, Hitchcock scores and the darker corners of jazz.
- Notes
- C♯ · E · G♯ · B♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 11
- Note
- C♯
- Quality
- Minor Major 7
- Symbol
- C♯m(maj7)
C♯m(maj7) 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♯m(maj7) 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. B♯ is the key you'd normally call C. 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♯m(maj7) on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♯m(maj7) is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. String 1 rings open. Don't play string 6.
C♯ · E · G♯ · B♯
Try C♯m(maj7) on the virtual piano
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C♯m(maj7) chord notes
Also known as D♭m(maj7)
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♯(C#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | E | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♯(G#) | |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | B♯(B#) |
How to use the C♯m(maj7) chord
The C♯m(maj7) chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major 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 major seventh chords appear in line cliches, where the top voice of a minor chord walks down from the root through the major seventh. James Bond themes, bossa nova and minor-key jazz ballads are where you meet them.
How C♯m(maj7) differs from similar chords
C♯m(maj7) combines the minor third of C♯m with the major seventh of C♯maj7. Its seventh sits a half step higher than in C♯m7, right under the root, and that is where its tense, cinematic edge comes from. It usually passes by in a line cliché between C♯m and C♯m7.
Where C♯m(maj7) 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.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C♯m(maj7) chord?
- The C♯m(maj7) chord contains C♯, E, G♯ and B♯ (C#, E, G# and B# in plain text).
- Is the C♯m(maj7) chord major or minor?
- C♯m(maj7) is a minor major seventh chord. Minor major seventh chords are unsettling in a beautiful way. A major seventh over a minor triad creates a sharp, unresolved edge best known from spy themes, Hitchcock scores and the darker corners of jazz.
- How do you play C♯m(maj7) 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. B♯ is the key you'd normally call C. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play C♯m(maj7) on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. String 1 rings open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the C♯m(maj7) chord?
- C♯m(maj7) is enharmonically equivalent to D♭m(maj7). Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.