C♯maj7 Chord
How to play C♯ major 7th on guitar — warm, dreamy and jazzy — a major chord with a soft top note.
- Notes
- C♯ – F – G♯ – C
- Frets (low → high)
- 9 11 10 10 9 9
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Shape
- Barre at fret 9
How to play C♯maj7, step by step
- 1Lay your index finger flat across all six strings at the 9th fret — this is the barre, and it works like a movable nut.
- 2Put your ring finger on the 11th fret of the A string (5th).
- 3Flatten your middle finger across the D and G strings at the 10th fret.
- 4Strum slowly and check every string sounds cleanly; if one buzzes, press closer to the fret wire and arch your fingers so they clear the neighbouring strings.
An easier way to play C♯maj7
C♯maj7 normally needs a barre, which is the single most common place beginners stall. A capo removes it entirely.
Put a capo on fret 1 and play an open Cmaj7 shape. The capo raises every string by 1 semitone, so what your hand fingers as Cmaj7 comes out of the guitar as C♯maj7 — the same chord, none of the strain.
What makes a major seventh chord
Warm, dreamy and jazzy — a major chord with a soft top note.
| Note | Interval | Semitones above C♯ |
|---|---|---|
| C♯ | root | 0 |
| F | major 3rd | 4 |
| G♯ | 5th | 7 |
| C | major 7th | 11 |
Other C♯ chords
Same root, different colour. Swapping one of these into a progression is the quickest way to change its mood without changing the key.
Every major 7th chord
The same shape moved around the neck. If you can play C♯maj7 you are a fret-slide away from all of these.
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the C♯maj7 chord?
- C♯maj7 is made of C♯, F, G♯, C — the root, major 3rd, 5th, major 7th of C♯.
- Is C♯maj7 hard to play?
- C♯maj7 is usually played as a barre chord at the 9th fret, which takes some hand strength. An easier route is a capo on fret 1 and the open Cmaj7 shape — it sounds identical.
- How do I play C♯maj7 without a barre?
- Put a capo on fret 1 and play the open Cmaj7 shape. The capo raises every string by 1 semitone, so the shape sounds as C♯maj7 while your hand does far less work.
Got a chart full of chords like C♯maj7?
Upload a chord sheet and move every chord into a key that fits your hands and your voice — the layout stays exactly as printed. Or let the capo calculator pick the position that turns the barre chords into open ones.