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C♯ augmented major 7th chord on guitar (C♯augMaj7)
Also called or written C♯augMaj7, C♯augM7, C♯+M7, C♯M7#5, C♯maj+7, C♯ augmented major seventh or C♯ major seventh sharp five
C♯ augmented major 7th contains C♯, E♯, G♯♯, and B♯. The 3rd fret voicing skips the B string, leaving a gap between the G and high e strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, 7
- Root positionC♯–E♯–G♯♯–B♯C♯augMaj7×-4-3-5-×-5
- First inversionE♯–G♯♯–B♯–C♯C♯augMaj7/E♯×-8-7-6-6-8
- Second inversionG♯♯–B♯–C♯–E♯C♯augMaj7/G♯♯5-4-3-5-×-×
- Third inversionB♯–C♯–E♯–G♯♯C♯augMaj7/B♯×-3-3-2-2-×
How do you play a C♯ augmented major 7th chord on guitar?
C♯ augmented major 7th is played at the 3rd fret as × 4 3 5 × 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 5 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) | 5 | 3 | B♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 4 | G♯♯ (♯5) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach the 5th fret on the high e string while the index finger holds the 3rd fret on the D string, creating a wide stretch.
7th fret
C♯ augmented major 7th is played at the 7th fret as 9 8 7 × × 8: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 9, middle finger on the A string at fret 8, index finger on the D string at fret 7 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 8. 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 | 2 | E♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 | G♯♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 3 | B♯ (7) |
8th fret
C♯ augmented major 7th is played at the 8th fret as 9 8 10 × 10 8: barre your index finger across fret 8, middle finger on the low E string at fret 9, ring finger on the D string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 10. The G string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 2 | C♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 1 (barre) | E♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 3 | B♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 4 | G♯♯ (♯5) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 1 (barre) | B♯ (7) |
9th fret
C♯ augmented major 7th is played at the 9th fret as 9 × 10 10 10 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, middle finger on the D string at fret 10, 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) | 10 | 2 | B♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 3 | E♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 4 | G♯♯ (♯5) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
C♯augM7/E♯ inversion
C♯ augmented major 7th is played at the 6th fret as × 8 7 6 6 8: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the A string at fret 8, middle finger on the D string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 8. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 3 | E♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 2 | G♯♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 4 | B♯ (7) |
Why it sounds like that
C♯ augmented major 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, ♯5, 7. The augmented 5th, G♯♯, is what separates it from the C♯ major 7th, where the 5th is G♯. The major 3rd and major 7th remain unchanged.
What goes wrong with C♯ augmented major 7th?
- Letting the low E string ring instead of muting it.
- Letting the B string ring instead of muting it.
- Fretting the high e string with the ring finger instead of the pinky, causing the note to go flat.
When to use it
C♯ augmented major 7th works as a substitute for C♯ major 7th when the melody moves to the ♯5. It fits jazz ballads and passages that need a brighter, more restless major sound.
Changing to and from C♯ augmented major 7th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 2nd fret gives C augmented major 7th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 4th fret gives D augmented major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The 3rd fret voicing keeps C♯ in the bass and is the default. The 7th fret voicing repeats the same shape an octave higher, while the C♯augM7/F inversion on the 6th fret puts E♯ in the bass.
Other C♯ chords
Common questions
How is C♯ augmented major 7th written?
C♯ augmented major 7th is written C♯+M7, M7#5, maj+7, or C♯augM7. The ASCII root is C#. It is also spelled D♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between C♯ augmented major 7th and C♯ augmented?
C♯ augmented major 7th adds the major 7th, B♯, to the C♯ augmented triad C♯–E♯–G♯♯. The 7th creates a leading tone back to C♯ major.
Why does the B string get muted?
The B string is muted because B is not a chord tone in C♯ augmented major 7th. Playing it would add an unintended 5th below the root.