C7 chord on guitar
C dominant 7th
C7 is a dominant 7th chord with four notes: C, E, G and Bb. Learn it first as an open shape: one open string and four fingers on the frets. Below: where each finger goes, which strings to skip and two more ways to play it.
Strum it and Lark tells you if it is right. The chord detector is free and listens through your mic.
How to play it
- Index on the B string, fret 1
- Middle on the D string, fret 2
- Ring on the A string, fret 3
- Pinky on the G string, fret 3
The number in each note head is the finger: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky.
Strings to skip
Skip the low E string and strum from the A string down.
- Shape
- Open shape
- Fingers
- Fourindex, middle, ring and pinky
- Strings played
- FiveA, D, G, B and high e
- Open strings
- Onethe high e string
- Lowest note
- C3the root, on the A string
- Frets
- x 3 2 3 1 0low E to high e, x means skip it
The notes in C7
- Croot
- Emajor third
- Gperfect fifth
- Bbminor seventh
A dominant 7th chord is a major chord with a minor seventh added on top. E is the major third, four frets above the root. G is the perfect fifth, seven frets above the root. Bb is the minor seventh, ten frets above the root.
String by string
- high e string: E4major third
- B string: C4root
- G string: Bb3minor seventh
- D string: E3major third
- A string: C3root
- low E string: not played
This shape leaves out the perfect fifth (G). It still has the root, major third and minor seventh.
Other ways to play it
- Barre at fret 3x 3 5 3 5 3Root on the A string.
- Barre at fret 88 10 8 9 8 8Root on the low E string.
Related chords
All 111 chords in the chartStrum it and Lark tells you if it is right.
Open the chord detector, play C7 and Lark names the chord it hears, with the notes in it. In the app, the chord book has all 111 chords, string by string.