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C-sharp Minor 7th Chord
The C-sharp Minor 7th Chord is C-sharp, E, G-sharp, and B: black, white, black, white. That alternation makes the hand feel balanced, with the long fingers sitting naturally on the black keys. The sound is soft and a little more open than C-sharp minor alone, and the B on top is what takes away some of the heaviness.
How to play the C-sharp Minor 7th Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the C-sharp Minor 7th Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.
The C-sharp Minor 7th Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the C♯ minor 7th chord are stacked in thirds with C♯ on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| C-sharp Minor 7th Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | C♯ E G♯ B |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C♯m7 |
The C-sharp Minor 7th Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (E) becomes the bottom note, and the root (C♯) jumps up to the top.
| C-sharp Minor 7th Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | E G♯ B C♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 4 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C♯m6/5 or C♯m7/E |
The C-sharp Minor 7th Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (G♯) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (E) goes to the top.
| C-sharp Minor 7th Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | G♯ B C♯ E |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C♯m4/3 or C♯m7/G♯ |
The C-sharp Minor 7th Chord in third inversion
In third inversion, the seventh of the chord (B) is on the bottom, and the fifth of the chord (G♯) goes to the top.
| C-sharp Minor 7th Chord in 3rd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | B C♯ E G♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 4 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C♯m4/2 or C♯m7/B |
C-sharp Minor 7th Chord theory and function
The minor 7th is a minor chord with the minor seventh added, and it is one of the mellowest sounds in the harmonic vocabulary. It carries far less tension than the dominant 7th, so it can sit for a long time without needing to resolve.
The C♯ minor 7th chord is the supertonic (ii7) in B major, the mediant (iii7) in A major, and the submediant (vi7) in E major. In minor keys, it is the tonic (i7) in C♯ minor, the subdominant (iv7) in G♯ minor, and the dominant (v7) in F♯ minor. On the keyboard this is the same chord as D♭ minor 7th, a spelling none of the common keys uses.
Its most common home is ii7 in the cadence ii7 – V7 – I. In B major that is C♯m7 – F♯7 – B, where the seventh, B, steps down to A♯, the leading tone. Try playing C♯m and then C♯m7 and listen to how the added note softens the chord.
Other chords built on C-sharp
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