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C♯ diminished major 7th chord on guitar (C♯dimMaj7)
Also called or written C♯dimMaj7, C♯dimM7, C♯°M7, C♯ augmented minor seventh or C♯ minor seventh sharp five
C♯ diminished major 7th is built from C♯, E, G and B♯. The 4th fret shape mutes both E strings, which are chord tones here.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7
- Root positionC♯–E–G–B♯C♯dimMaj7×-4-5-5-5-×
- First inversionE–G–B♯–C♯C♯dimMaj7/E0-3-2-0-2-0
- Second inversionG–B♯–C♯–EC♯dimMaj7/G3-3-2-0-2-0
- Third inversionB♯–C♯–E–GC♯dimMaj7/B♯×-3-2-0-2-0
How do you play a C♯ diminished major 7th chord on guitar?
C♯ diminished major 7th is played at the 4th fret as × 4 5 5 5 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 4, middle finger on the D string at fret 5, ring finger on the G string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 5. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 | C♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 2 | G (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 3 | B♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 4 | E (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe four-fret stretch from index on A4 to pinky on B5 is wide, and both E strings must be muted despite being chord tones.
9th fret
C♯ diminished major 7th is played at the 9th fret as 9 10 10 9 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 9, ring finger on the A string at fret 10, pinky finger on the D string at fret 10 and middle finger on the G string at fret 9. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 | C♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 3 | G (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 4 | B♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 2 | E (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
11th fret
C♯ diminished major 7th is played at the 11th fret as × × 11 12 13 12: index finger on the D string at fret 11, middle finger on the G string at fret 12, pinky finger on the B string at fret 13 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 12. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 | C♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 2 | G (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 4 | B♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 3 | E (♭3) |
C♯dimM7/E inversion · E on top
C♯ diminished major 7th is played in open position as 0 3 2 0 2 0: ring finger on the A string at fret 3, index finger on the D string at fret 2 and middle finger on the B string at fret 2. The low E, G and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 3 | B♯ (7) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 | E (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | C♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (♭3) |
C♯dimM7/E inversion · G on top
C♯ diminished major 7th is played in open position as 0 3 2 0 2 3: ring finger on the A string at fret 3, index finger on the D string at fret 2, middle finger on the B string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The low E and G strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 3 | B♯ (7) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 | E (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | C♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (♭5) |
Why it sounds like that
C♯ diminished major 7th uses the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7. The diminished 5th between C♯ and G creates a tritone, and the major 7th B♯ is the leading tone. Compare it to C♯ minor 7th flat 5th, which lowers the 7th to B.
What goes wrong with C♯ diminished major 7th?
- Letting the low E string ring open and doubling the bass.
- Flattening the ring finger onto the B string and muting the 5th.
When to use it
C♯ diminished major 7th works as a passing chord in C♯ minor, often moving to C♯ minor or C♯ major 7th. The leading tone B♯ pulls to C♯, so use it before a C♯ major cadence. It suits gypsy jazz and dramatic film cues.
Changing to and from C♯ diminished major 7th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 3rd fret gives C diminished major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The 4th fret shape keeps the bass on C♯ and is the default. The 9th fret position repeats the voicing an octave higher, while the 11th fret adds a brighter register for solos.
Other C♯ chords
Common questions
How is C♯ diminished major 7th written?
C♯ diminished major 7th is written C♯°M7 or C♯dimM7. The ASCII root spelling is C#. It is also spelled D♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between C♯ diminished major 7th and C♯ minor 7th flat 5th?
C♯ diminished major 7th has a major 7th, B♯. C♯ minor 7th flat 5th lowers that note to B, creating a dominant-quality chord.
Why does C♯ diminished major 7th sound so tense?
The diminished 5th between C♯ and G creates a tritone, and the major 7th B♯ rubs against the root. Together they produce a strong leading-tone pull.