C♯m7: C♯/D♭ Minor 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	Minor third	3
5	G♯	Perfect fifth	7
♭7	B	Minor seventh	10

Construction

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

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

Root position
C♯ – E – G♯ – B
1st inversion (C♯m7/E)
E – G♯ – B – C♯
2nd inversion (C♯m7/G♯)
G♯ – B – C♯ – E
3rd inversion (C♯m7/B)
B – C♯ – E – G♯

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the C♯ Minor 7th is the tonic (i) chord of C♯ Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, E Major: 4 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯).

F♯C♯G♯D♯

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♯ Minor

These are the triads built on each degree of C♯ Minor:

i — C♯ Minor (minor)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	i	C♯ Minor	Minor
2	ii°	D♯ Diminished	Diminished
3	III	E Major	Major
4	iv	F♯ Minor	Minor
5	v	G♯ Minor	Minor
6	VI	A Major	Major
7	VII	B Major	Major

How C♯ Minor 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♯ Minor 7th sits diatonically across the common keys:

In E major, C♯ Minor 7th is the vi chord — the tonic.
In C♯ minor, C♯ Minor 7th is the i chord — the tonic.
In B major, C♯ Minor 7th is the ii chord — a predominant.
In G♯ minor, C♯ Minor 7th is the iv chord — a predominant.
In A major, C♯ Minor 7th is the iii chord — a mediant / color chord.
In F♯ minor, C♯ Minor 7th is the v chord.

Scales That Include the C♯ Minor 7th

A Major (iii7)
E Major (vi7)
B Major (ii7)
F# Minor (v7)
C# Minor (i7)
G# Minor (iv7)
B Dorian (ii)
C# Phrygian (i)

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes C♯ – E – G♯ – B aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

E Major 6→

C♯ Minor 7th : Frequently Asked Questions

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

The C♯ Minor 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♯ Minor 7th) uses the same keys: C♯ – E – G♯ – B. The # and ♯ symbols name the same black key.

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

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

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

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

What is the fingering for C# Minor 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# Minor 7th?

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

C♯ Minor 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 E3 G♯3 B3	10	138 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	E3 G♯3 B3 C♯4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	G♯3 B3 C♯4 E4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, third inversion	B3 C♯4 E4 G♯4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Drop 2	G♯2 C♯3 E3 B3	15	206 mm	none	identical
Drop 3	E2 C♯3 G♯3 B3	19	261 mm	none	identical
Drop 2 and 4	C♯2 G♯2 E3 B3	22	303 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 B2 E3	15	206 mm	omits G♯	subset
Guide tones, ♭3 and ♭7	E3 B3	7	96 mm	omits C♯ and G♯	subset
Rootless close	E3 G♯3 B3	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, E3, G♯3, B3	7	10	138 mm
First inversion: C♯m7/E	E	E3, G♯3, B3, C♯4	6/5	9	124 mm
Second inversion: C♯m7/G♯	G♯	G♯3, B3, C♯4, E4	4/3	8	110 mm
Third inversion: C♯m7/B	B	B3, C♯4, E4, G♯4	4/2	9	124 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	C♯ minor	im7	D♯m7♭5 to G♯m7 to C♯m7	2 tones held from G♯m7
iv, i	C♯ minor	im7	F♯m7 to C♯m7	2 tones held from F♯m7
i, ♭VI, ii, v	C♯ minor	im7	C♯m7 to Amaj7 to D♯m7♭5 to G♯m7	C♯m7 opens the phrase
vi, IV, I, V	E major	vim7	C♯m7 to Amaj7 to Emaj7 to B7	C♯m7 opens the phrase
I, vi	E major	vim7	Emaj7 to C♯m7	3 tones held from Emaj7
v, i	F♯ minor	vm7	C♯m7 to F♯m7	C♯m7 opens the phrase
ii, v, i	F♯ minor	vm7	G♯m7♭5 to C♯m7 to F♯m7	2 tones held from G♯m7♭5
iv, v, i	G♯ minor	ivm7	C♯m7 to D♯m7 to G♯m7	C♯m7 opens the phrase
i, iv	G♯ minor	ivm7	G♯m7 to C♯m7	2 tones held from G♯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
C♯ minor	im7	Tonic, home
E major	vim7	Tonic substitute
F♯ minor	vm7	Minor dominant
G♯ minor	ivm7	Subdominant
A major	iiim7	Tonic substitute
B major	iim7	Predominant

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♯m9	adds D♯	1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9	4
C♯m	drops B	1 ♭3 5	3
C♯7	E becomes E♯	1 3 5 ♭7	3
C♯mMaj7	B becomes B♯	1 ♭3 5 7	3
C♯m7♭5	G♯ becomes G	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7	3
C♯7sus4	E becomes F♯	1 4 5 ♭7	3
C♯m6	B becomes A♯	1 ♭3 5 6	3
C♯9	E becomes E♯, D♯	1 3 5 ♭7 9	3
C♯	E, B becomes E♯	1 3 5	2
C♯dim	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

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
C♯3	49	138.59 Hz
E3	52	164.81 Hz
G♯3	56	207.65 Hz
B3	59	246.94 Hz

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

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {1, 4, 8, 11}
Normal order: [8, 11, 1, 4]
Prime form: (0358)
Forte number: 4-26
Interval vector: <012120>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
C♯ to E	Minor third	3	3
C♯ to G♯	Perfect fifth	7	5
C♯ to B	Minor seventh	10	2
E to G♯	Major third	4	4
E to B	Perfect fifth	7	5
G♯ to B	Minor third	3	3

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a minor 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♯ Minor 7th

Fingerings

C♯ Minor 7th: notes and degrees