Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string, x is a string you do not play.
- Index finger flat across the top 5 strings, from the A string up at the 4th fret — the barre.
- Middle finger on the 5th fret of the G string (3rd).
- Ring finger on the 6th fret of the D string (4th).
- Little finger on the 6th fret of the B string (2nd).
- Do not play the low E string: start the strum from the A string.
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (low E) | not played | — | — | — |
| 5th (A) | fret 4 | index | C♯3 | root |
| 4th (D) | fret 6 | ring | G♯3 | fifth |
| 3rd (G) | fret 5 | middle | B♯4 | major seventh |
| 2nd (B) | fret 6 | little | E♯4 | third |
| 1st (high E) | fret 4 | index | G♯4 | fifth |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play C♯maj7
The same 4 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- x43111A barre at the 1st fret and two more fingers
- 9-11-10-10-9-9A barre at the 9th fret and three more fingers
- 986668A barre at the 6th fret and three more fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
x4311x is C♯maj7 without the full barre — fewer strings, the same chord. It is a real voicing, not a cheat, and plenty of players keep using it.
Or use a capo: clamp it at the 1st fret and play the Cmaj7 shape. Every string is raised 1 semitone, so that open shape now sounds C♯maj7.
Holding it cleanly
The barre is the hard part. Lay the index finger just behind the 4th fret, roll it slightly onto its bony outer edge, and keep the thumb behind the neck opposite it. Pluck the barred strings one at a time: a buzz or a dead string means the finger is not flat there yet.
The lowest string is left out, because its open note is not in the chord. Aim the strum to start below it, or let the tip of a fretting finger rest against the unwanted string to keep it quiet.
The notes in C♯maj7
A major seventh chord is built from the root (1), 3, 5 and 7 of its root’s major scale. From C♯ that gives C♯ – E♯ (F) – G♯ – B♯ (C). A major chord with the note a semitone under its root added: soft, open, and at rest.
The same root, other chords: C♯ major, C♯m, C♯7, C♯m7, C♯sus2, C♯sus4, C♯dim, C♯aug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a C♯maj7 chord?
C♯ major seventh is four notes: C♯ – E♯ (F) – G♯ – B♯ (C) — the root, 3, 5 and 7 of the C♯ major scale. On guitar the shape x46564 sounds C♯3, G♯3, B♯4, E♯4 and G♯4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play C♯maj7 on guitar?
The usual shape is x46564 — a barre chord at the 4th fret, with a barre at the 4th fret and three more fingers. If that is out of reach for now, x4311x is the same chord without the full barre. Or put a capo on the 1st fret and play the Cmaj7 shape, which then sounds C♯maj7.
Is C♯maj7 the same chord as D♭maj7?
Yes — on guitar they are the same frets and the same sound. C♯ and D♭ are two names for one pitch, and which name a songbook prints depends on the key: a piece in a sharp key writes C♯maj7, a piece in a flat key writes D♭maj7.
What is the difference between C♯maj7 and C♯7?
C♯maj7 has the natural seventh (B♯), a semitone below the root; C♯7 flattens it another semitone. C♯maj7 is soft and at rest; C♯7 is restless and leads somewhere. A songbook that says C♯7 does not mean C♯maj7.