C#maj7 is C# major with a major seventh on top, and the extra note changes the mood: brighter than C# alone, softer, a little dreamy. Its notes are C#, E#, G# and B#. E# is the same pitch as F and B# the same pitch as C; they are spelled that way because each one is a step of the C# scale. In practice you will often see this chord written Dbmaj7, and it is played the same way.
C#maj7 chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: C sharp major seventh
- Symbol: C#maj7
- Notes: C#, E#, G#, B#
- Where it belongs: Imaj7 in C# major, IIImaj7 in A# minor
Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a
number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you
do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.
| Shape | Frets, low E to high E | Notes, low to high | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| C#maj7, Cmaj7 shape | x43111 | C# E# G# B# E# | Open Cmaj7 moved up one fret, the first finger standing in for the open strings. All four notes, close to the nut. |
| C#maj7, barre at the fourth fret | x46564 | C# G# B# E# G# | The standard C#maj7: an A maj7 shape barred at fret 4. |
| C#maj7, barre at the ninth fret | 9 11 10 10 9 9 | C# G# B# E# G# C# | The E maj7 shape at fret 9, six strings, root in the bass. |
Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.
C#maj7 on the neck: every C#, F, G#, C
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of C#maj7: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still C#maj7.
How to play C#maj7, step by step
1. Near the nut: x43111
Start from an open Cmaj7 (x32000) and move it up one fret. The open strings now need fret 1, so the first finger lies across the third, second and first strings there. Second finger on the fourth string at fret 3, third finger on the fifth string at fret 4. Leave the low E out.
2. The barre at fret 4: x46564
First finger across fret 4 from the fifth string down. Second finger on the third string at fret 5: that note is B#, the major seventh. Third finger on the fourth string at fret 6, fourth finger on the second string at fret 6. Place the fingers one at a time, starting with the second, and check that the third string rings.
3. The ninth fret: 9 11 10 10 9 9
The open E maj7 shape barred at fret 9. First finger across all six strings, second finger on the fourth string at fret 10, third finger on the third string at fret 10, fourth finger on the fifth string at fret 11. The fourth string carries B#.
C#maj7 next to C# and C#7
On the barre at fret 4, only the third string decides which chord you are playing.
| Chord | Shape | Third string | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| C# | x46664 | Fret 6, C# | Plain and bright |
| C#maj7 | x46564 | Fret 5, B# | Soft, open, jazzy |
| C#7 | x46464 | Fret 4, B | Tense, wants to move to F# |
Slide all three shapes down one fret and you have C, Cmaj7 and C7. The open version of the maj7 chord, with no barre at all, is on the Cmaj7 page.
Where C#maj7 shows up
A maj7 chord sits on the I or the IV of a major key. For this one, that means the key of Db (where it is home, written Dbmaj7) and the key of Ab (where it is the IV, the chord that opens the sound up before returning). You meet it mostly in soul, jazz, R&B and soft pop, often as a gentler replacement for a plain C# or Db.
| Use | Shapes | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| C#, C#maj7 | x46664 to x46564 | One finger lifts a fret: the chord melts. |
| Ab, Dbmaj7 (I to IVmaj7 in Ab) | 466544 to x46564 | The classic soft IV of a soul ballad. |
| Dbmaj7, Ebm7, Ab7 (I, ii, V in Db) | x46564, x68676, 464544 | A ii, V back to the I maj7: jazz in miniature. |
Frequently asked questions
How do you play C#maj7 on guitar?
What notes are in a C#maj7 chord?
Is C#maj7 the same as Dbmaj7?
Is there an easier C#maj7?
What is the difference between C#maj7 and C#7?
Who made this
Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.
More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.