Guitar, piano and ukulele chords

C♯m chord (C sharp minor)

The C♯m chord (C sharp minor) has 3 notes: C♯, E and G♯. It is a minor chord: root, minor third and perfect fifth. It sounds darker and more intimate than major. It colours melancholy verses and ballads, and it is the vi chord of a major key.

How to play it on guitar

An x is a string you don't play and 0 is an open string. The number on the left is the fret where the shape starts.

××
Usual shape
x4212x
4fr ×
Barre chord · fret 4
x46654
9fr
Barre chord · fret 9
9(11)(11)999

Notes in the chord

NoteInterval
C♯Root
EMinor third
G♯Perfect fifth

Inversions

  • Root position: C♯ – E – G♯
  • First inversion: E – G♯ – C♯
  • Second inversion: G♯ – C♯ – E

On piano

The highlighted keys make the chord in root position.

On ukulele

Usual shape
1444
4fr
Higher up the neck · fret 4
6444

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯m chord?

C♯m has 3 notes: C♯, E and G♯. It is a minor chord: root, minor third and perfect fifth.

How do you play C♯m on guitar?

The usual shape is x4212x, read from the low E string to the high E string.

What keys is C♯m in?

C♯m is in E major (vi), A major (iii), B major (ii), C sharp minor (i), F sharp minor (v) and G sharp minor (iv).

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