C♯ dominant seventh (C♯7) chord on banjo

Looking for the C♯7 chord on banjo? It is a dominant seventh chord (a major triad plus a minor seventh), made of four notes: C♯ – E♯ – G♯ – B. The same chord with a different spelling: D♭ dominant seventh (D♭7).

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 6medium

Position 9easy

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the C♯7 chord sounds like

The dominant seventh sounds tense and wants to move on: the third and the minor seventh form a tritone that pulls towards the tonic. It is also the basic chord of the blues and early rock'n'roll.

Notes of the C♯7 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	C♯	root
3	E♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	G♯	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	B	minor seventh (10 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 3, ring finger (E♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, index finger (C♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, little finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 3, middle finger (E♯3)

Position 6

String 1 (D): fret 9, little finger (B4)
String 2 (B): fret 6, ring finger (E♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, middle finger (C♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 6, index finger (G♯3)

Position 9, barre at fret 9

String 1 (D): fret 9, index finger (B4)
String 2 (B): fret 9, index finger (G♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 10, middle finger (E♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 11, ring finger (C♯4)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 9; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The C♯7 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

F♯ major: V7 (dominant)
F♯ minor: V7 (dominant)
D♯ minor: VII7

Similar chords and substitutes

If C♯7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

G7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Fdim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
C♯9 – a fuller dominant (with the ninth)
C♯7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
F♯ – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

C♯ – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

C♯9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
C♯11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes
C♯13 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯7 chord?

C♯, E♯, G♯, B. The root is C♯; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.

What is the easiest way to play C♯7 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Position 9”, rated easy. We show 3 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some C♯7 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (G♯) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the C♯7 chord written?

The chord symbol is C♯7 (also written C#7), and its full name is C♯ dominant seventh.