C#mmaj7

C#mMaj7 is C#, E, G# and B#, a minor major seventh. The shape this page opens on is written x4211x, lowest string first.

Also written C#mM7, C#m(maj7), C#-Δ7 or C#minMaj7. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for C#mMaj7 on the guitar, and 26 derived voicings in 3 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x4211x, x46554, x76698, x-x-11-9-9-8, 9-11-10-9-9-9, x-x-11-13-13-12.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. C#mMaj7 has x425xx, x4x55x, 9-7-10-x-x-x, 9-x-10-9-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. C#mMaj7 has x3212x, x4655x, 8766xx, x-x-10-9-9-9, 9-11-10-9-x-x, x-x-11-13-13-12, x-15-14-13-14-x, 4425xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. C#mMaj7 has x3x120, 4x252x, x4x554, 8x665x, x7x698, x-11-x-9-13-9, 9-x-10-9-9-x, 12-x-11-13-13-x.

Tensions. A shell of C#mMaj7, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (D#), the 11 (F#) and the 13 (A#).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.