C dominant seventh (C7) chord on guitar

The C dominant seventh chord (C7) is a dominant seventh chord (a major triad plus a minor seventh), made of four notes: C – E – G – B♭.

Dots show:

Open positionmedium

A shape, fret 3medium

G shape, fret 5medium

E shape, fret 8medium

Position 8medium

D shape, fret 10medium

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 C7 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 C7 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

Open position

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): fret 1, index finger (C4)
String 3 (G): fret 3, little finger (B♭3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, middle finger (E3)
String 5 (A): fret 3, ring finger (C3)
String 6 (E): not played

A shape, fret 3, barre at fret 3

String 1 (e): fret 3, index finger (G4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, little finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 3, index finger (B♭3)
String 4 (D): fret 5, ring finger (G3)
String 5 (A): fret 3, index finger (C3)
String 6 (E): not played

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 3; your other fingers press the higher frets.

G shape, fret 5, barre at fret 5

String 1 (e): fret 6, middle finger (B♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, index finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, index finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 5, index finger (G3)
String 5 (A): fret 7, ring finger (E3)
String 6 (E): fret 8, little finger (C3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 5; your other fingers press the higher frets.

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing C7 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a C7 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 1
shape: B7

Capo: fret 3
shape: A7

Capo: fret 5
shape: G7

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The C7 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 C7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

F♯7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Edim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
C9 – a fuller dominant (with the ninth)
C7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
F – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

C – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
C5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

C9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
C11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes
C13 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C7 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 C7 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a B7 shape at fret 1 or a A7 shape at fret 3.

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 C7 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 C7 chord written?

The chord symbol is C7, and its full name is C dominant seventh.