C♯maj7: C♯/D♭ Major 7th Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	C♯, E♯, G♯, B♯	2-3-4-5
Left	C♯, E♯, G♯, B♯	5-4-3-2

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	C♯	Perfect unison	0
3	E♯	Major third	4
5	G♯	Perfect fifth	7
7	B♯	Major seventh	11

Construction

C♯ Major 7th = Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 5th + Major 7th = C♯, E♯, G♯, B♯

Note	Interval	Degree
C♯	Root	1
E♯	Major 3rd	3
G♯	Perfect 5th	5
B♯	Major 7th	7

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
C♯	black	index finger (2)	little finger (5)
E♯	white	middle finger (3)	ring finger (4)
G♯	black	ring finger (4)	middle finger (3)
B♯	white	little finger (5)	index finger (2)

Right hand: index finger (2) on C♯, middle finger (3) on E♯, ring finger (4) on G♯, little finger (5) on B♯.

Left hand: little finger (5) on C♯, ring finger (4) on E♯, middle finger (3) on G♯, index finger (2) on B♯.

C♯ Major 7th Inversions

Root position
C♯ – E♯ – G♯ – B♯
1st inversion (C♯maj7/E♯)
E♯ – G♯ – B♯ – C♯
2nd inversion (C♯maj7/G♯)
G♯ – B♯ – C♯ – E♯
3rd inversion (C♯maj7/B♯)
B♯ – C♯ – E♯ – G♯

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the C♯ Major 7th is the tonic (I) chord of C# Major, whose key signature has 7 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯).

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of C♯ Major 7th

These are the triads built on each degree of the C♯ Major 7th:

I — C♯ Major (major)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	I	C♯ Major	Major
2	ii	D♯ Minor	Minor
3	iii	F Minor	Minor
4	IV	F♯ Major	Major
5	V	G♯ Major	Major
6	vi	A♯ Minor	Minor
7	vii°	C Diminished	Diminished

How C♯ Major 7th functions in a key

The same chord takes on a different harmonic role depending on the key it appears in. Here is where C♯ Major 7th sits diatonically across the common keys:

In C♯ major, C♯ Major 7th is the I chord — the tonic.
In A♯ minor, C♯ Major 7th is the III chord — a mediant / color chord.

C♯ Major 7th : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the C♯ Major 7th chord on piano?

The C♯ Major 7th chord contains the notes C♯ – E♯ – G♯ – B♯. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.

What is the C# piano chord?

The C# piano chord (written C♯ Major 7th) uses the same keys: C♯ – E♯ – G♯ – B♯. The # and ♯ symbols name the same black key.

What notes are in the C# Major 7th chord?

C# Major 7th is built from the C# root. Check the interactive keyboard above for exact notes and fingering.

How is the C# Major 7th chord used in music?

C# Major 7th appears in jazz, pop, and classical contexts. Its sound depends on the chord quality (Major 7th).

What is the fingering for C# Major 7th?

See the fingering chart above. Right hand typically uses thumb on root. Left hand uses pinky on root.

What are the inversions of C# Major 7th?

Use the inversion buttons above to see each inversion with notes, fingering, and staff notation.

C♯ Major 7th in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	C♯3 E♯3 G♯3 B♯4	11	151 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	E♯3 G♯3 B♯4 C♯4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	G♯3 B♯4 C♯4 E♯4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, third inversion	B♯4 C♯4 E♯4 G♯4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Drop 2	G♯2 C♯3 E♯3 B♯4	16	220 mm	none	identical
Drop 3	E♯2 C♯3 G♯3 B♯4	19	261 mm	none	identical
Drop 2 and 4	C♯2 G♯2 E♯3 B♯4	23	316 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Shell, root 7 3	C♯2 B♯3 E♯3	16	220 mm	omits G♯	subset
Guide tones, 3 and 7	E♯3 B♯4	7	96 mm	omits C♯ and G♯	subset
Rootless close	E♯3 G♯3 B♯4	7	96 mm	omits C♯	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	C♯	C♯3, E♯3, G♯3, B♯4	7	11	151 mm
First inversion: C♯maj7/E♯	E♯	E♯3, G♯3, B♯4, C♯4	6/5	8	110 mm
Second inversion: C♯maj7/G♯	G♯	G♯3, B♯4, C♯4, E♯4	4/3	9	124 mm
Third inversion: C♯maj7/B♯	B♯	B♯4, C♯4, E♯4, G♯4	4/2	8	110 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Progression	Key	Role	Sequence	Voice leading
ii, V, I	D♭ major	Imaj7	E♭m7 to A♭7 to D♭maj7	2 tones held from A♭7
IV, I	D♭ major	Imaj7	G♭maj7 to D♭maj7	2 tones held from G♭maj7
I, vi, ii, V	D♭ major	Imaj7	D♭maj7 to B♭m7 to E♭m7 to A♭7	C♯maj7 opens the phrase
♭VI, iv, i, v	F minor	♭VImaj7	D♭maj7 to B♭m7 to Fm7 to Cm7	C♯maj7 opens the phrase
i, ♭VI	F minor	♭VImaj7	Fm7 to D♭maj7	3 tones held from Fm7
IV, V, I	A♭ major	IVmaj7	D♭maj7 to E♭7 to A♭maj7	C♯maj7 opens the phrase
I, IV	A♭ major	IVmaj7	A♭maj7 to D♭maj7	2 tones held from A♭maj7
♭III, ♭VI, ii, v	B♭ minor	♭IIImaj7	D♭maj7 to G♭maj7 to Cm7♭5 to Fm7	C♯maj7 opens the phrase
i, ♭III	B♭ minor	♭IIImaj7	B♭m7 to D♭maj7	3 tones held from B♭m7

Root motion, common tones and voice displacement are computed from pitch class sets. Roman numerals follow common practice functional harmony.

Which keys it belongs to

Key	Roman numeral	Function
D♭ major	Imaj7	Tonic, home
F minor	♭VImaj7	Pre-dominant colour
A♭ major	IVmaj7	Subdominant, away from home
B♭ minor	♭IIImaj7	Relative-major colour

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
C♯maj9	adds D♯	1 3 5 7 9	4
C♯	drops B♯	1 3 5	3
C♯7	B♯ becomes B	1 3 5 ♭7	3
C♯mMaj7	E♯ becomes E	1 ♭3 5 7	3
C♯6	B♯ becomes A♯	1 3 5 6	3
C♯add9	B♯ becomes D♯	1 3 5 9	3
C♯9	B♯ becomes B, D♯	1 3 5 ♭7 9	3
C♯m	E♯, B♯ becomes E	1 ♭3 5	2
C♯aug	G♯, B♯ becomes G×	1 3 ♯5	2
C♯sus2	E♯, B♯ becomes D♯	1 2 5	2
C♯sus4	E♯, B♯ becomes F♯	1 4 5	2
C♯m7	E♯, B♯ becomes E, B	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	2

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
C♯3	49	138.59 Hz
E♯3	53	174.61 Hz
G♯3	56	207.65 Hz
B♯4	60	261.63 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {1, 5, 8, 0}
Normal order: [0, 1, 5, 8]
Prime form: (0158)
Forte number: 4-20
Interval vector: <101220>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
C♯ to E♯	Major third	4	4
C♯ to G♯	Perfect fifth	7	5
C♯ to B♯	Major seventh	11	1
E♯ to G♯	Minor third	3	3
E♯ to B♯	Perfect fifth	7	5
G♯ to B♯	Major third	4	4

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a major 7th applied to the root C♯, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

C♯ Major 7th

Fingerings

C♯ Major 7th: notes and degrees