C#maj7 Piano Chord

C sharp major seventh is the C#maj7 piano chord. It has four notes: C sharp, F, G sharp and C. The root and the fifth are black keys; the third and the seventh are white.

1C♯2F3G♯5CC4C5

C♯ at the bottom, then F and G♯ and C. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1. The black keys are C♯ and G♯.

How to play C#maj7 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the C♯ above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): C♯
  3. Index finger (2): F
  4. Middle finger (3): G♯
  5. Little finger (5): C
  6. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just C♯ on its own as a bass note.

The chord contains both C sharp and C, which looks odd written down and sounds perfectly normal: they are a half step apart at opposite ends of the chord, which is exactly what a major seventh is.

Inversions of C#maj7

The same 4 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are C#maj7; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionF G♯ C C♯
C#maj7 piano chord diagram, first inversion, F G♯ C C♯
Lighter than root position and less final. A third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionG♯ C C♯ F
C#maj7 piano chord diagram, second inversion, G♯ C C♯ F
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.
Third inversionC C♯ F G♯
C#maj7 piano chord diagram, third inversion, C C♯ F G♯
The most restless of the four. The seventh is the note that wants to move, and putting it underneath the whole chord makes that pull impossible to miss.

If it sounds wrong

The top note is B
That gives C sharp 7, which pulls toward F sharp. The major seventh here is C natural, the key immediately below C sharp's octave.
The second note looks wrong
It is F, a white key. Written strictly it is E sharp, which is the same key, and every chart prints F.
The hand rocks in and out
Black and white keys alternate through this chord. Settle the hand at a middle depth rather than moving for each note.

What makes it a C#maj7

C♯ · F · G♯ · C 1 3 5 7

C sharp major seventh is a C sharp major triad, C sharp E sharp G sharp, with a B sharp added on top. E sharp and B sharp are the keys everyone calls F and C, and that is how chord charts print them.

It is the I chord of C sharp major and the IV of G sharp. Both are rare home keys, so this chord is usually met inside another key or after a modulation.

C#maj7 vs C#

C sharp major seventh is C sharp major with a C natural added on top. The triad is final; the seventh is soft and open.

It is worth knowing that the same chord is often written D flat major seventh, which puts every note on a flat name and looks far less alarming.

Questions about C#maj7

Which notes are in a C#maj7 chord on piano?

C sharp, F, G sharp and C. C sharp and G sharp are black keys; F and C are white.

Why does the chord contain both C sharp and C?

The major seventh sits one half step below the octave. For C sharp that note is C natural, written strictly as B sharp. Having both in the chord is normal and is what gives a major seventh its sound.

Is C#maj7 the same as Dbmaj7?

The same four keys and the same sound. Written as D flat major seventh the spelling is much simpler, which is why jazz charts prefer it.

What fingers do you use for C#maj7?

Right hand: thumb on C sharp, index on F, middle on G sharp, little finger on C. Left hand: 5, 3, 2, 1.

Where is the C#maj7 chord used?

As the I chord in C sharp or D flat, mostly in jazz.

Chords to learn next

Other C# chords