Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 1st fret of the G string (4th).
- Middle finger on the 1st fret of the C string (3rd).
- Ring finger on the 2nd fret of the A string (1st).
- Let the E string ring open.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | fret 1 | index | G♯4 | fifth |
| 3rd (C) | fret 1 | middle | C♯4 | root |
| 2nd (E) | open | — | E4 | minor third |
| 1st (A) | fret 2 | ring | B4 | flat seventh |
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.
2 other ways to play C♯m7
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.
- 4444A barre at the 4th fret
- 6877A shape at the 6th fret · four fingers
Holding it cleanly
One string rings open next to fretted ones. Arch the fingers so they come down on their tips — a finger lying flat will deaden the open string beside it, and the chord loses a note without sounding obviously wrong.
The notes in C♯m7
A minor seventh chord is built from the root (1), ♭3, 5 and ♭7 of its root’s major scale. From C♯ that gives C♯ – E – G♯ – B. A minor chord with a flattened seventh: mellow rather than sad, and the usual ii chord of a major key.
The same root, other chords: C♯ major, C♯m, C♯7, C♯maj7, C♯sus2, C♯sus4, C♯dim, C♯aug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a C♯m7 chord?
C♯ minor seventh is four notes: C♯ – E – G♯ – B — the root, ♭3, 5 and ♭7 of the C♯ major scale. On ukulele the shape 1102 sounds G♯4, C♯4, E4 and B4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play C♯m7 on ukulele?
The usual shape is 1102 — an open-position shape, with three fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
Is C♯m7 the same chord as D♭m7?
Yes — on ukulele 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♯m7, a piece in a flat key writes D♭m7.
What is the difference between C♯m7 and C♯m?
C♯m7 is C♯m with one more note, a flattened seventh (B). It can nearly always stand in for C♯m and sounds a little warmer and less final.