Guitar chord reference
C Dominant 7 guitar chord: five CAGED shapes
A dominant seventh chord combines a major triad with a flattened 7th. Its major 3rd and minor 7th create the tension that drives functional resolution and blues harmony.
Chord construction and function
The 3rd and ♭7 are the guide tones. Their tritone determines the chord’s pull even when roots or 5ths are omitted from a practical voicing.
- Chord formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
- Notes in C7
- C · E · G · B♭
C7 in CAGED neck order
Root notes are highlighted. Each region uses a compact playable voicing, with muted strings, suggested fingers and barres shown explicitly.
C shape
Fingers: × · 1 · 3 · ○ · 4 · ×
A shape
Fingers: × · 1 · 3 · 1 · 4 · ×
Finger 1 barre · fret 3 · strings 5–3
G shape
Fingers: 2 · 3 · 1 · 1 · × · ×
Finger 1 barre · fret 5 · strings 4–3
E shape
Fingers: 1 · 3 · 1 · 2 · × · ×
Finger 1 barre · fret 8 · strings 6–4
D shape
Fingers: × · × · 1 · 3 · 2 · 4
Practice drill
Find and play only 3 and ♭7 inside each diagram before adding the complete chord. Resolve those guide tones by the smallest movement into a tonic major shape.
Follow the guitar chord practice guide for clean placement, timed changes and connected CAGED movement.
Learn how the five movable forms overlap, where their roots sit and when to use partial voicings in the CAGED system guide.
Open the chord randomiser