Guitar chord · Sevenths
C dominant 7th chord on guitar
x32310 · Open position
All 6 shapes, tab & fingering ↓
6 ways to play C7 on guitar, with finger positions, tabs and step-by-step instructions.
Bluesy tension that pulls strongly toward the chord a 5th below.
C7 is the V7 chord in F major. In minor keys: V7 in F minor.
- Notes
- CEGB♭
- Formula
- 135♭7
- Built from
- root · major 3rd · perfect 5th · minor 7th
Guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E) · 6 voicings · E string on the left · Other tunings →
How to play it · Open position
- 6th string (low E): don’t play — mute it
- 5th string (A): 3rd fret, ring finger (3) C
- 4th string (D): 2nd fret, middle finger (2) E
- 3rd string (G): 3rd fret, pinky finger (4) B♭
- 2nd string (B): 1st fret, index finger (1) C
- 1st string (high E): play open E
Tablature
e|--0---| B|--1---| G|--3---| D|--2---| A|--3---| E|--x---|
Top line is the high E string. x = don’t play, 0 = open string.
Every C7 note on the guitar neck
Bright dots are the selected voicing — the rest are other places you can find the same chord tones.
Tips for playing C7 on guitar
The open C shape with your pinky added on the 3rd fret of the G string (x32310).
You’ll find C7 in common progressions such as C7–F7–G7 (the 12-bar blues in C major) and Gm7–C7–Fmaj7 (the jazz cadence in F major).
