C♯ minor seventh (C♯m7) chord on mandolin

The C♯ minor seventh chord (C♯m7) is a minor seventh chord (a minor triad plus a minor seventh), made of four notes: C♯ – E – G♯ – B. The same chord with a different spelling: D♭ minor seventh (D♭m7).

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 6easy

Position 4easy

Position 9medium

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♯m7 chord sounds like

A minor seventh chord is softer than a plain minor chord – the minor seventh fills out the sound. In jazz it is the ii of the ii–V–I, in pop and soul a common colour chord.

Notes of the C♯m7 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	C♯	root
3	E	minor third (3 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 (E): fret 4, little finger (G♯5)
String 2 (A): fret 4, little finger (C♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 2, index finger (E4)
String 4 (G): fret 4, ring finger (B3)

Position 6, barre at fret 6

String 1 (E): fret 7, ring finger (B5)
String 2 (A): fret 7, middle finger (E5)
String 3 (D): fret 6, index finger (G♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 6, index finger (C♯4)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 6; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 4

String 1 (E): open (E5)
String 2 (A): fret 4, middle finger (C♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 6, ring finger (G♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 4, index finger (B3)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The C♯m7 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

C♯ minor: i7 (tonic)
F♯ minor: v7 (dominant)
G♯ minor: iv7 (subdominant)
A major: iii7
E major: vi7
B major: ii7

Similar chords and substitutes

If C♯m7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Emaj7 – relative major seventh: three shared notes
F♯7 – in a ii–V, this is the dominant that follows

Same notes

E6 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

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

Richer versions

C♯m9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯m7 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play C♯m7 on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Position 6”, rated easy. We show 4 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♯m7 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♯m7 chord written?

The chord symbol is C♯m7 (also written C#m7), and its full name is C♯ minor seventh.