C♯m7
Character: mellow
- C♯Rtriad
- E♭3triad
- G♯5triad
- B♭7add
17 ways to play C♯m7
Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.
- Triad note
- Substitute
- Added
- Anchored root
- Bass
- Doubling
Frets x 2 2 1 2 xNotes B E G♯ C♯Intervals ♭7 ♭3 5 1Base triadC♯ minor, 1st inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 4 2 1 0 0Notes C♯ E G♯ BIntervals 1 ♭3 5 ♭7Base triadC♯ minor, root position
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 2 4 2 0Notes E B C♯Intervals ♭3 ♭7 1Base triadC♯ minor, 1st inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 4 2 4 2 0Notes C♯ E BIntervals 1 ♭3 ♭7Base triadC♯ minor, root position
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 4 4 2 4 2 0Notes G♯ C♯ E BIntervals 5 1 ♭3 ♭7Base triadC♯ minor, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 4 6 6 5 7Notes G♯ C♯ E BIntervals 5 1 ♭3 ♭7Base triadC♯ minor, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x x 6 5 7Notes C♯ E BIntervals 1 ♭3 ♭7Base triadC♯ minor, root position
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 4 6 4 5 4Notes C♯ G♯ B EIntervals 1 5 ♭7 ♭3Base triadC♯ minor, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
Frets x 7 9 6 x xNotes E B C♯Intervals ♭3 ♭7 1Base triadC♯ minor, 1st inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 7 7 6 6 x xNotes B E G♯ C♯Intervals ♭7 ♭3 5 1Base triadC♯ minor, 1st inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 9 7 9 9 9 0Notes C♯ E BIntervals 1 ♭3 ♭7Base triadC♯ minor, root position
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 9 x x 9 12 9Notes E B C♯Intervals ♭3 ♭7 1Base triadC♯ minor, 1st inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 9 9 9 9Notes B E G♯ C♯Intervals ♭7 ♭3 5 1Base triadC♯ minor, 1st inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 9 11 11 9 12 0Notes C♯ E BIntervals 1 ♭3 ♭7Base triadC♯ minor, root position
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 9 11 11 9 12 0Notes G♯ C♯ E BIntervals 5 1 ♭3 ♭7Base triadC♯ minor, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 9 11 9 9 9 0Notes C♯ G♯ B EIntervals 1 5 ♭7 ♭3Base triadC♯ minor, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
Frets x x x 4 2 0Notes B C♯ EIntervals ♭7 1 ♭3Base triadC♯ minor, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
The construction rules C♯m7 follows
Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
A third on top makes a 7th chord
A major 7th over a major triad is maj7, a ♭7 is a dominant 7. Over minor you get m7 or m(maj7); over diminished, m7♭5 or the °7, whose 7th is lowered twice.
On guitar, something has to give
Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.
The root can move down
When an extension needs the root’s string, the root can drop to the string below the triad: an anchored voicing keeps the bass and frees a string on top.
All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.
Minor 7th in every key
More chords on C♯
C♯m7 chord questions
What notes are in C♯m7?
C♯m7 is spelled C♯ E G♯ B: C♯ is the root, E is the ♭3rd, G♯ is the 5th, B is the ♭7th.
What is the formula of C♯m7?
1 ♭3 5 ♭7. It is a C♯ minor triad with the ♭7th stacked on top.
How many ways can you play C♯m7 on guitar?
This page shows 17 voicings of C♯m7, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.