- C7
- Fmaj7
C7 Guitar Chord
Everything about the C Dominant 7 chord: How to play it, what it's built from, the chords it pairs with, and examples of pros using it in real performances.
NotesC • E • G • B♭
Difficulty
Easy
A-string root barre shape
What is the C7 chord?
The C7 chord is a dominant seventh built on C, containing the notes C, E, G and Bb. It has a bright, bluesy, and slightly unresolved character—more edgy than a major chord but less dark than a minor. The flattened seventh (Bb) creates tension that naturally wants to resolve, giving the chord a forward-pushing quality. You'll hear C7 everywhere in blues, funk, rock, and soul music, where it often appears as a stopping point before moving to another chord. Guitarists reach for it when they want that classic bluesy crunch or when they need a chord that feels like it's leading somewhere. It's one of the most recognizable sounds in popular music, instantly evoking a soulful, grounded vibe.
Notes & intervals
C7 stacks a root (C), a major third (E), and a minor seventh (Bb). The minor seventh is the signature color—it creates that bluesy, unresolved tension that makes the chord want to move, especially down to F.
Where it's used
Dominant 7 chords are the workhorses of blues, rock, funk, and jazz. In the key of F major, C7 is the V7 chord, also called the dominant chord. It naturally creates tension that wants to resolve back to F, the tonic or I chord. Because of its strong pull toward F, C7 adds forward motion, grit, and a bluesy/jazzy color to progressions in F.
C7 vs. Cmaj7
Compared to Cmaj7, C7 differs by just one note: C7 uses Bb, the minor seventh, while Cmaj7 uses B natural, the major seventh. That single semitone shift transforms a bright, resolved sound into something darker and more restless, making C7 especially useful in blues and funk.
Mood & character
C7 has a gritty, slightly edgy character—confident but unfinished. Reach for it when you want to add tension, drive a progression forward, or inject blues attitude into a song. It's equally at home in a 12-bar blues as it is in a funk groove or a jazz standard.
Voicings for C7
Four ways to play it using the same four notes. Pick a voicing below to hear it on the fretboard.
- NotesC • G • B♭ • E • GDifficultyEasy
A-string root barre shape
Progressions that use C7
Hear how the chord works in context of songs.
Learn to play C7 from the experts
Handpicked lessons from TrueFire courses that lean on this chord.
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Frequently asked questions for C7
C7 is a dominant 7 chord, which means it has a flattened 7th note (Bb) instead of the natural 7th. A regular C major triad contains C, E, and G. When you add that flat 7th (Bb), you create tension and a bluesy, unresolved sound. This tension is what makes C7 so useful for blues, rock, and jazz—it wants to resolve to another chord, usually F major.
Place your index finger on the 1st fret of the D string (4th string), your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string (3rd string), your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (5th string), and your pinky on the 3rd fret of the high E string (1st string). Leave the low E string (6th string) muted and the high E string open. This gives you the notes C, E, Bb, and E again—all the chord tones you need.
C7 contains three essential notes: C (the root), E (the major 3rd), and Bb (the flat 7th). These intervals are 1, 3, and b7. In the open position voicing, you'll hear some of these notes repeated across different strings, which is normal and adds fullness to the chord.
Yes. Once you understand the shape, you can move it up or down the neck to play other dominant 7 chords. For example, if you move the whole shape up two frets, you get D7. This movable form is very useful in blues and rock, where dominant 7 chords appear frequently. However, the open position C7 is easier for beginners and doesn't require a barre.
C7 most commonly appears in blues progressions, where it often resolves to F major (the IV chord). You'll also hear it in rock, funk, and jazz. The classic 12-bar blues uses dominant 7 chords on the I, IV, and V degrees. In the key of C major, C7 acts as a secondary dominant—it's borrowed from outside the key to create movement and energy before resolving to another chord.