C7 Chord on Guitar
C7 C E G B♭ 3 shapes Open chord
Chord diagrams
How to play C7 on guitar
The C7 chord (C7) is made of C, E, G, B♭ - 1 3 5 b7. On a guitar in standard tuning the easiest way to play it is the open shape x32310, with no barre. Below are 3 shapes in all, from the lowest on the neck to the highest; the same chord sounds brighter the higher you play it.
A-shape barre, fret 3 x35353
E-shape barre, fret 8 8(10)8988
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right). Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little. x = do not play the string, o = open string, a bar = one finger across several strings.
Notes
What notes are in C7?
The C7 chord has 4 different notes: C, E, G, B♭. The major triad plus a minor seventh (10 half steps above C) - the dominant chord that pulls towards the key a fifth below. A guitar chord rarely has as many strings as notes, so shapes double some of them: the e-shape barre, fret 8 sounds all six strings.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| C | Root | 0 |
| E | Major 3rd | 4 |
| G | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| B♭ | Minor 7th | 10 |
Songs
Songs with the C7 chord
Easy songs on this site that use C7, with the chords over the lyrics and a guitar that plays along.
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you play C7 on guitar?
The open shape x32310: A string fret 3 (finger 3), D string fret 2 (finger 2), G string fret 3 (finger 4), B string fret 1 (finger 1); let high E ring open, do not play low E.
What notes are in the C7 chord?
The C7 chord (C7) is made of C, E, G, B♭. Its formula is 1 3 5 b7. On the guitar, some of those notes are played twice on different strings.
Is there a barre version of C7?
Yes: a-shape barre, fret 3 (x35353), and e-shape barre, fret 8 (8(10)8988). Barre shapes have no open strings, so you can cut the sound short with your fretting hand.
Keep playing
Strum C7, then build a song around it
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