C#/D♭ Minor 7th
4th FretThe standard C#m7 — Am7-shape barre at the 4th fret. Barre fret 4 with the index finger; ring on D fret 6, middle on B fret 5. The most widely used C#m7 voicing.
C#/D♭ Minor 7th
9th FretEm7-shape barre at the 9th fret. Barre across all six strings at fret 9 with the index, then ring on A fret 11. A full, resonant C#m7 voicing with the root on the low E string.
C#/D♭ Minor 7th
4th FretA compact 4-string D-shape voicing with the root on the D string at fret 4. Ring on D fret 6 (5th), pinky on G fret 6 (minor 7th), middle on B fret 5 (minor 3rd), index on high e fret 4 (root). Strum the top four strings only — no barre.
C#/D♭ Minor 7th
5th FretRooted three-note voicing on the top strings — root on G fret 6, minor 3rd on B fret 5, minor 7th on high e fret 7. Three fingers, no barre. Includes the root for a clear minor sound — a beginner-friendly rooted C#m7 voicing.
C#/D♭ Minor 7th
16th FretAm7-shape barre at the 16th fret — C#m7 one octave above the 4th-fret shape. Bright and cutting for high-register chord work and chord-melody passages.
Tips for Playing the C#m7 Chord
Start with the Am7-shape barre
The x-4-6-4-5-4 shape at fret 4 is the standard C#m7. It is fully moveable — slide it up or down to play any minor 7th chord on the A string root.
Try the 4-string D-shape
The x-x-6-6-5-4 shape on the top four strings is a great alternative — no barre, just four fingers. Useful when you need a clean, articulate C#m7 in jazz comping.
Mute the low E cleanly
Most C#m7 voicings skip the low E. Let the side of your index finger lightly touch the low E to mute it as you strum.
Slide between m7 shapes
C#m7 (fret 4 Am7-shape) and Bm7 (fret 2 Am7-shape) use the same shape — practise sliding the barre to build m7 fluency around the neck.
Use it in the ii–V–I
C#m7 → F#7 → Bmaj7 is the classic ii–V–I in B major. Practising this cycle through different keys is one of the fastest ways to internalise jazz harmony.
Sub for C#m
C#m7 sounds great as a substitute for C#m in soul, R&B, and bossa nova styles. The added B (minor 7th) softens the chord without changing its overall feel.
About the C#m7 Chord on Guitar
The C#m7 chord is built from four notes: C# (the root), E (the minor 3rd), G# (the perfect 5th), and B (the minor 7th). It is the C# minor triad with an added flat 7th, giving the chord a smooth, mellow, slightly melancholy character. Because the C# and G# require fretted notes, every C#m7 voicing depends on at least one barre or moveable fingering — making this a key chord for developing minor 7th technique. C#m7 functions as the iii chord in A major, the ii chord in B major, and the vi chord in E major, appearing constantly in jazz, R&B, soul, neo-soul, and pop. This page covers five voicings, from the standard Am7-shape barre at the 4th fret to a high-register barre an octave up. Every diagram is interactive and playable with real acoustic guitar sound. C#m7 is enharmonically identical to D♭m7 — the same chord, spelled differently depending on the key.
- 015 C#m7/D♭m7 chord shapes from beginner to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Real acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Am7-shape barre, Em7-shape barre, 4-string D-shape, top-string voicing, and high barre
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 4 notes that form the C#/D♭ Minor 7th chord and their role in the major scale.
Every minor 7th chord follows this same formula — root, minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.