Guitar, piano and ukulele chords

C7 chord (C dominant seventh)

The C7 chord (C dominant seventh) has 4 notes: C, E, G and B♭. It is a dominant seventh chord: a major chord with a minor seventh on top. It sounds tense and eager to resolve. It works as V7 in F major and VII7 in D minor.

How to play it on guitar

An x is a string you don't play and 0 is an open string. The number on the left is the fret where the shape starts.

×
Open
x32310
3fr ×
Barre chord · fret 3
x35353
8fr
Barre chord · fret 8
8(10)8988

Notes in the chord

NoteInterval
CRoot
EMajor third
GPerfect fifth
B♭Minor seventh

Inversions

  • Root position: C – E – G – B♭
  • First inversion: E – G – B♭ – C
  • Second inversion: G – B♭ – C – E
  • Third inversion: B♭ – C – E – G

On piano

The highlighted keys (C, E, G and B♭) make the chord in root position.

On ukulele

Usual shape
0001
Higher up the neck · fret 3
3003

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C7 chord?

C7 has 4 notes: C, E, G and B♭. It is a dominant seventh chord: a major chord with a minor seventh on top.

How do you play C7 on guitar?

The usual shape is x32310, read from the low E string to the high E string.

What keys is C7 in?

C7 is in F major (V7) and D minor (VII7).