Chord · C# Minor-Major 7th
C♯m(maj7) Chord
C♯m(maj7) is C#, E, G# and B# — sinister, James Bond-ish. Tonic of harmonic minor.
C♯m(maj7) on every instrument
The same 4 notes, 5 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What C♯m(maj7) is made of
C# Minor-Major 7th (C# minor-major 7th) is built from the notes C#, E, G#, B#, with the interval pattern 1, b3, 5, 7. A common minor-major 7th chord across many styles.
Stack 1, b3, 5 and 7 on a root of C♯ and you get C#, E, G# and B#. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a minor major seventh chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Cm(maj7) sounds like a transposed C♯m(maj7).
Minor-Major 7th: Sinister, James Bond-ish. Tonic of harmonic minor.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with C♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain C♯m(maj7)
No major or natural-minor key contains all 4 of these notes — this one gets borrowed.
Chords like this one sit outside the diatonic set — they arrive as secondary dominants, borrowed chords or passing harmony. Browse every key to see which progressions pull it in.
Other chords on C♯
Same root, different colour.
The same minor major seventh shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about C#m(maj7)
- What notes are in the C#m(maj7) chord?
- C#m(maj7) is made of C#, E, G# and B# — the 1, b3, 5 and 7 degrees of a minor major seventh chord built on C#.
- What keys use the C#m(maj7) chord?
- No major or natural-minor key contains all 4 notes of C#m(maj7). Chords like this arrive as borrowed harmony — secondary dominants, harmonic-minor colour, or chromatic passing chords — rather than as one of a key's native chords.
- How do you play C#m(maj7) on guitar and piano?
- This page shows C#m(maj7) on guitar, piano, ukulele, mandolin and banjo — 8 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
- Is C#m(maj7) the same as Dbm(maj7)?
- Yes. C#m(maj7) and Dbm(maj7) are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; C#m(maj7) is the spelling this site treats as canonical.
Learn the theory behind it
Why C♯m(maj7) behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.