Guitar chord · Open shape · Standard tuning
C dominant 7 guitar chord (C7)
Place finger 3 on the 3rd fret of the A, finger 2 on the 2nd fret of the D, finger 4 on the 3rd fret of the G, finger 1 on the 1st fret of the B. Don't play the low E string.
C – E – G – B♭
Loop strum: down, down-up, up-down-up on 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &.
Next moves
4 fingers, 5 strings, chart notation x32310. Tap the chord box to hear it strummed, then play it string by string to check every note is ringing cleanly.
How to play C7
Finger numbers run 1 for the index to 4 for the little finger. String names are given as players say them — the low E is the thickest string (the 6th) and the high E is the thinnest (the 1st).
- 1st finger (index) — 1st fret, B string
- 2nd finger (middle) — 2nd fret, D string
- 3rd finger (ring) — 3rd fret, A string
- 4th finger (little) — 3rd fret, G string
- Play open: high E (1st) — strum it without fretting anything.
- Leave out: low E (6th) — start the strum below it, or damp it with the side of the thumb.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note it sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th — low E | Not played | — | × |
| 5th — A | 3rd fret | 3 (ring) | C |
| 4th — D | 2nd fret | 2 (middle) | E |
| 3rd — G | 3rd fret | 4 (little) | B♭ |
| 2nd — B | 1st fret | 1 (index) | C |
| 1st — high E | Open | — | E |
Notes and intervals in C7
C7 is built from 4 notes: C, E, G and B♭.
- C — the root
- E — the major 3rd
- G — the perfect 5th
- B♭ — the flat 7th
Across the six strings the shape sounds C · E · B♭ · C · E from low to high, so some notes are doubled in different octaves — that is what gives an open guitar chord its width compared with the same chord on a keyboard.
This voicing leaves out the G entirely. That is normal for a 7th chord on guitar: with only six strings something has to go, and the 5th is the note the ear misses least.
What C7 is used for
C7 adds a B♭ on the 3rd fret of the G string to the C shape, which is what forces the little finger into action. It is the V7 of F and the opening chord of a blues in C. This voicing leaves out the 5th (G) altogether: dominant 7th chords give up their 5th readily because the flat 7th is what creates the pull.
Common mistakes with C7
- Avoiding the little finger. C7 needs all four; putting the ring finger on the G string collapses the shape and mutes the B string.
- Muting the open high E, usually because the little finger has arrived flat rather than on its tip.
- Strumming the 6th string — the root C sits on the 5th string.
A first strum pattern
Count “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” — eighth notes (quavers). Strum down, down-up, up-down-up: down on 1, down on 2, up on the “&” of 2, up on the “&” of 3, down on 4, up on the “&” of 4. Keep your hand moving down and up all the time, and only touch the strings on the marked counts.
Start the strum loop above at 60–70 BPM and change chords on beat 1.
C dominant 7 FAQ
How do you play C dominant 7 on guitar?
Place finger 3 on the 3rd fret of the A, finger 2 on the 2nd fret of the D, finger 4 on the 3rd fret of the G, finger 1 on the 1st fret of the B. Don't play the low E string. In chart notation it is x32310, low E string first.
What notes are in C dominant 7?
C, E, G and B♭: the root, the major 3rd, the perfect 5th and the flat 7th.
What chord comes after C dominant 7?
Common changes from C dominant 7: D major and D minor. Practice the switch slowly with the strum loop, then speed it up.
Guitar chord data last updated . Every diagram here, in the printable PDF and in the chart image comes from one dataset, so the paper and the screen cannot disagree.