C7 chord
C7 is C, E, G and B♭: 1–3–5–♭7 built on C. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
x-3-2-3-1-0 · open · medium
- Notes
- C · E · G · B♭
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
- First shape
- x-3-2-3-1-0
C7 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · C–E–G–B♭ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- C · E · G · B♭
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
C7 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
0-0-0-1 · open · easy
- Notes
- C · E · G · B♭
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
- First shape
- 0-0-0-1
Where C7 usually goes next
Three changes cover most of what C7 does in songs.
- C7 → F (the V7 pulls home a fifth below)
Guitar: C7 (x-3-2-3-1-0) to F (1-3-3-2-1-1): your ring finger stays put, the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the pinky finger slides across to the D string at the same fret. Listen for C, which stays put while the rest moves.
Piano: C7 to F: play F in 2nd inversion (C–F–A) and C stays under the same finger, while E moves up to F and B♭ down to A. F - C7 → Fmaj7 (I in F major)
Guitar: C7 (x-3-2-3-1-0) to Fmaj7 (x-x-3-2-1-0): your index finger stays put, the middle finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the ring finger slides across to the D string at the same fret. C and E carry over from one chord to the other.
Piano: C7 to Fmaj7: play Fmaj7 in 2nd inversion (C–E–F–A) and C and E stay under the same fingers, while G moves down to F and B♭ down to A. Fmaj7 - C7 → Dm7 (vi in F major)
Guitar: C7 (x-3-2-3-1-0) to Dm7 (x-x-0-2-1-1): your index finger stays put, the middle finger goes to the high E string, 1st fret, move the ring finger to the G string, 2nd fret. The two chords share C, which is why the change sounds smooth.
Piano: C7 to Dm7: play Dm7 in 3rd inversion (C–D–F–A) and C stays under the same finger, while E moves down to D, G down to F and B♭ down to A. Dm7
Guitar with a capo: capo 1, B7 shape; capo 3, A7 shape; capo 5, G7 shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 1, B7 shape; capo 3, A7 shape; capo 5, G7 shape.
How C7 is built
C7 is a dominant seventh chord: a major triad with a flattened seventh on top. It sounds restless and wants to move, most strongly to F, the chord a fifth below. It is also the backbone of the blues, where every chord can be a seventh.
Count keys (black and white) from C: 4 half steps up to E, 3 half steps up to G then 3 half steps up to B♭.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | root | 0 | |
| E | major third | 4 | |
| G | perfect fifth | 7 | |
| B♭ | minor seventh | 10 |
Keys and progressions with C7
You'll find C7 as V7 in F major. On the minor side it's V7 in F minor (borrowing the raised 7th) and VII7 in D minor.
Play I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars) in C major and you get C7 – C7 – C7 – C7 – F7 – F7 – C7 – C7 – G7 – F7 – C7 – G7. the 12-bar blues
Gm7 – C7 – Fmaj7: that's ii–V–I in the key of F major. the jazz cadence
Chords close to C7
- C7 is C plus B♭. C
- C7 and Cmaj7 differ by one note: B♭ in C7, B in Cmaj7. They share C, E and G. Cmaj7
Chords that share most of their notes with C7: C9, C, Edim, Cmaj7, Cm7, Cadd9.
Every C chord
C7 chord: questions
What notes are in the C7 chord?
C, E, G and B♭. C7 is built 1–3–5–♭7 from C: E is the major third, G is the perfect fifth and B♭ is the minor seventh.
How do you play C7 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-3-2-3-1-0 (open). All 4 guitar shapes.
How do you play C7 on piano?
Play C, E, G and B♭ with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. C sits just left of the pair of black keys. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play C7 on ukulele?
0-0-0-1 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is C7 in?
You'll find C7 as V7 in F major. On the minor side it's V7 in F minor (borrowing the raised 7th) and VII7 in D minor.
What's the difference between C7 and C?
C7 is C plus B♭.
All three instruments are drawn and played from C, E, G and B♭ by the same engine. Updated September 2026.