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C♯ 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar (C♯7♯5)
Also called or written C♯7♯5, C♯ or C♯ Dominant 7th ♯5
C♯ 7th sharp 5 contains C♯, E♯, G♯♯, and B. The default voicing skips the 2nd string and stretches the pinky to fret 5, making it a demanding shape.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7
- Root positionC♯–E♯–G♯♯–BC♯7♯5×-4-3-4-×-5
- First inversionE♯–G♯♯–B–C♯C♯7♯5/E♯×-8-7-6-6-7
- Second inversionG♯♯–B–C♯–E♯C♯7♯5/G♯♯5-4-3-4-×-×
- Third inversionB–C♯–E♯–G♯♯C♯7♯5/B×-2-3-2-2-×
How do you play a C♯ 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar?
C♯ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 3rd fret as × 4 3 4 × 5: middle finger on the A string at fret 4, index finger on the D string at fret 3, ring finger on the G string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 5. The low E and B strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 2 | C♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 | E♯ (3) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 3 | B (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 4 | G♯♯ (♯5) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach fret 5 on the 1st string while the ring finger holds fret 4 on the 3rd string, requiring a wide stretch.
7th fret
C♯ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 7th fret as 9 8 7 × × 7: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 9, ring finger on the A string at fret 8, index finger on the D string at fret 7 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 7. The G and B strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 4 | C♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 3 | E♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 | G♯♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 2 | B (♭7) |
9th fret
C♯ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 9th fret as 9 × 9 10 10 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, ring finger on the G string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 10. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | B (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 3 | E♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 4 | G♯♯ (♯5) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
C♯7♯5/E♯ inversion
C♯ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 6th fret as × 8 7 6 6 7: barre your index finger across fret 6, pinky finger on the A string at fret 8, middle finger on the D string at fret 7 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 7. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 4 | E♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 2 | G♯♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 3 | B (♭7) |
C♯7♯5/G♯♯ inversion
C♯ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 3rd fret as 5 4 3 4 × ×: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 5, middle finger on the A string at fret 4, index finger on the D string at fret 3 and ring finger on the G string at fret 4. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 4 | G♯♯ (♯5) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 2 | C♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 | E♯ (3) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 3 | B (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
C♯ 7th sharp 5 is built from the formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7. The augmented 5th between C♯ and G♯♯ defines its tense quality. Compare it with C♯ 7th, which has a perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with C♯ 7th sharp 5?
- Letting the pinky flatten and mute the 2nd string.
- Strumming the 6th string, which is not part of the chord.
- Fretting the 2nd string accidentally with the ring finger.
When to use it
Use the supplied linked chords to hear its tension without adding unsupported harmony. Its biting sound suits jazz fusion and modern rock. Compare it with C♯ major to hear the difference between the sharp 5 and the perfect 5.
Changing to and from C♯ 7th sharp 5
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 2nd fret gives C 7th sharp 5.
- Move the pinky from fret 5 to fret 6 on the 1st string to reach D 7th sharp 5.
Which voicing to use
The 3rd fret voicing keeps C♯ in the bass, while the C♯7♯5/F inversion puts E♯ in the bass for a smoother transition. The C♯7♯5/A inversion places G♯♯ in the bass, emphasizing the augmented 5th.
Other C♯ chords
Common questions
How is C♯ 7th sharp 5 written?
C♯ 7th sharp 5 is written as C♯7♯5 or C♯. The ASCII root is C#. It is also spelled D♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between C♯ 7th sharp 5 and C♯ augmented?
C♯ augmented has no 7th, so it contains only C♯, E♯, and G♯♯. C♯ 7th sharp 5 adds the minor 7th B, creating a dominant sound.
Why does C♯ 7th sharp 5 sound tense?
The augmented 5th interval between C♯ and G♯♯ is dissonant. The tritone between E♯ and B adds further instability.
Can C♯ 7th sharp 5 be played in open position?
No, C♯ 7th sharp 5 has no open-string voicing. The lowest position is the 3rd fret shape shown here.