C♯maj7 chord on piano
C♯maj7 is C♯, E♯, G♯ and B♯. You'll find C♯ on the black key between C and D. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.
root position · C♯–E♯–G♯–B♯ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- C♯ · E♯ · G♯ · B♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 7
How to play C♯maj7 on piano
Start on C♯, count 4 half steps up to E♯, 3 half steps up to G♯ then 4 half steps up to B♯. Press the 4 keys together and that's C♯maj7.
- Right hand: 1 on C♯, 2 on E♯, 3 on G♯ and 5 on B♯.
- Left hand: 5 on C♯, 3 on E♯, 2 on G♯ and 1 on B♯.
- On the keyboard it's black, white, black and white keys, the same pattern as E♭maj7 and A♭maj7, so your hand shape carries over.
C♯maj7 inversions
- root position: C♯–E♯–G♯–B♯. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: E♯–G♯–B♯–C♯, with E♯ at the bottom. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: G♯–B♯–C♯–E♯ (G♯ in the bass). Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: B♯–C♯–E♯–G♯, B♯ lowest. RH 1-2-3-5.
Use the inversions to stay put: the next chord is often one inversion away from where your hand already is, as the changes below show.
Moving between C♯maj7 and its neighbours
These are the changes you'll meet most often with C♯maj7, using the first shape of each chord.
- F♯maj7 (IV in D♭ major): C♯maj7 to F♯maj7: play F♯maj7 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♯. F♯maj7 on piano
- A♭7 (V in D♭ major): C♯maj7 to A♭7: play A♭7 in 2nd inversion (E♭–G♭–A♭–C) and A♭ and C stay under the same fingers, while C♯ moves up to E♭ and E♯ up to G♭. A♭7 on piano
- B♭m7 (vi in D♭ major): C♯maj7 to B♭m7: play B♭m7 in 1st inversion (D♭–F–A♭–B♭) and D♭, F and A♭ stay under the same fingers, while B♯ moves down to B♭. B♭m7 on piano
C♯maj7 is a major seventh chord: a major triad with the note a half step below the octave added. C♯maj7 works as a relaxed home chord; swap it in for plain C♯ at the end of a phrase. On piano you hear it best with the keys pressed together, then rolled.
Practice C♯maj7 in two minutes
Play C♯maj7 broken, one key at a time: C♯, E♯, G♯, B♯, G♯, E♯, C♯. Then press the keys together and check that all 4 sound at the same volume. Finish with the inversions in order: C♯–E♯–G♯–B♯; E♯–G♯–B♯–C♯; G♯–B♯–C♯–E♯; B♯–C♯–E♯–G♯.
The keys of C♯maj7
C♯maj7 is a major seventh chord, 1–3–5–7 from C♯. Root position, from the bottom: how C♯maj7 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| C♯ | black key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| E♯ | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| G♯ | black key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| B♯ | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | major seventh |
Written D♭maj7, it's the same chord with the same keys.
Keys and progressions with C♯maj7
In D♭ major, ii–V–I on piano is E♭m7 (E♭–G♭–B♭–D♭), A♭7 (A♭–C–E♭–G♭) and C♯maj7 (C♯–E♯–G♯–B♯). About the jazz cadence.
C♯maj7 on guitar and ukulele
The same notes on another instrument: C♯maj7 on guitar and C♯maj7 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.
Next to try on piano
Other major seventh chords
C♯maj7 on piano: questions
What notes are in C♯maj7 on piano?
C♯, E♯, G♯ and B♯: C♯ (black key), E♯ (white key), G♯ (black key) and B♯ (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play C♯maj7 on piano?
Press C♯, E♯, G♯ and B♯ together (2 black, 2 white). Right hand: 1 on C♯, 2 on E♯, 3 on G♯ and 5 on B♯.
What are the inversions of C♯maj7?
1st inversion (E♯–G♯–B♯–C♯), 2nd inversion (G♯–B♯–C♯–E♯) and 3rd inversion (B♯–C♯–E♯–G♯), after root position (C♯–E♯–G♯–B♯). Only the lowest note changes.
What does C♯maj7 look like on the keyboard?
black, white, black and white keys, the same pattern as E♭maj7 and A♭maj7, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Every shape above plays only C♯, E♯, G♯ and B♯, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.