C7 — the C dominant 7 guitar chord
C7 is C major with a bite. The pinky adds one note and suddenly the music leans toward F. Blues and early rock and roll built whole songs on that pull. Adding the pinky tends to unsettle the other three fingers. Place the C shape first, then drop the pinky in without letting anything shift.
How to play it
- Index finger on the B string (2nd), 1st fret.
- Middle finger on the D string (4th), 2nd fret.
- Ring finger on the A string (5th), 3rd fret.
- Pinky on the G string (3rd), 3rd fret.
- Let the open high E string (1st) ring.
- Don't strum the low E string (6th). It stays silent in this shape.
Changes to practice
Holding C7 still is the easy part. Songs need you to arrive at it in rhythm, so in Strumhold you practice C7 as changes, alongside the rest of the Open 7ths set: