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C 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar (C7♯5)
Also called or written C7♯5, C or C Dominant 7th ♯5
C 7th sharp 5 contains C, E, G♯, and B♭. The 2nd fret voicing mutes both the low E and B strings, leaving four sounding notes.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7
- Root positionC–E–G♯–B♭C7♯5×-3-2-3-×-4
- First inversionE–G♯–B♭–CC7♯5/E0-1-2-1-1-0
- Second inversionG♯–B♭–C–EC7♯5/G♯4-3-2-3-×-×
- Third inversionB♭–C–E–G♯C7♯5/B♭×-1-2-1-1-0
How do you play a C 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar?
C 7th sharp 5 is played at the 2nd fret as × 3 2 3 × 4: middle finger on the A string at fret 3, index finger on the D string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E and B strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 2 | C (1) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 | E (3) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 4 | G♯ (♯5) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach the 4th fret on the high e while the ring finger holds the 3rd fret on the G string.
6th fret
C 7th sharp 5 is played at the 6th fret as 8 7 6 × × 6: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 8, ring finger on the A string at fret 7, index finger on the D string at fret 6 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 6. The G and B strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 4 | C (1) |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 3 | E (3) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 | G♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 2 | B♭ (♭7) |
8th fret
C 7th sharp 5 is played at the 8th fret as 8 × 8 9 9 8: barre your index finger across fret 8, ring finger on the G string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 9. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 3 | E (3) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 4 | G♯ (♯5) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
C7♯5/E inversion · open position
C 7th sharp 5 is played in open position as 0 1 2 1 1 0: index finger on the A string at fret 1, pinky finger on the D string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and ring finger on the B string at fret 1. The low E and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (3) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 4 | E (3) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | G♯ (♯5) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 3 | C (1) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (3) |
C7♯5/E inversion · fret 5
C 7th sharp 5 is played at the 5th fret as × 7 6 5 5 6: barre your index finger across fret 5, pinky finger on the A string at fret 7, middle finger on the D string at fret 6 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 6. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 4 | E (3) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 2 | G♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 1 (barre) | E (3) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (♭7) |
Why it sounds like that
C 7th sharp 5 is built from root, major 3rd, augmented 5th, and minor 7th. The augmented 5th G♯ gives the chord its bright, tense colour, and the tritone between E and B♭ adds pull. Compare it to C 7th, which has a perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with C 7th sharp 5?
- Let the low E ring open; it is a chord tone but should be muted to preserve the bass note.
- Let the B string ring open; it is not a chord tone and will clash.
- Flatten the ring finger on the G string and deaden the high e string.
When to use it
C 7th sharp 5 functions as a dominant in C major, often resolving to C major or C 5th. Its bright, tense quality suits jazz, blues, and funk.
Changing to and from C 7th sharp 5
- Slide the shape down one fret to the 1st fret for B 7th sharp 5.
- Move to <a href="/guitar/c-7-chord">C 7th</a> by lowering G♯ to G on the G string.
Which voicing to use
The 2nd fret voicing keeps C in the bass and is the most accessible. The C7♯5/E inversion puts the major 3rd in the bass for smoother voice-leading.
Other C chords
Common questions
How is C 7th sharp 5 written?
C 7th sharp 5 is written as C7♯5 or C7+5. It is also called C dominant 7th sharp 5.
What is the difference between C 7th sharp 5 and C augmented?
C 7th sharp 5 adds a minor 7th B♭ to the augmented triad C–E–G♯. C augmented has no 7th and is spelled C–E–G♯.
Can C 7th sharp 5 be played as a barre chord?
Yes, the 8th fret voicing uses a barre at the 8th fret. The 2nd fret voicing avoids barres but requires muting two strings.