C# Chord on the Guitar (C Shape Major) - Diagrams, Finger Positions, Theory (2024)

The C# Major chord is one of the most common and popular chords on the guitar. The open C# chord is one of the first chords that most guitarists learn, and it has been used in countless songs across many genres.

Some Quick C# Chord Theory

  • The C# Major chord contains the notes C#, E# and G#.
  • The C# Major chord is produced by playing the 1st (root), 3rd and 5th notes of the C# Major scale.
  • The C# Major chord (just like all Major chords) contains the following intervals (from the root note): Major 3rd, minor 3rd, Perfect 4th (back to the root note).
  • The C# Major chord is the first chord in the key of C# Major. The seven chords in the key of C# Major are: C#, D#m, E#, F#, G#, A#, B# diminished.

10 Ways To Play The C# Major Chord

If you’ve come to this page just to view some chord diagrams for C#, here they are.

C# Chord on the Guitar (C Shape Major) - Diagrams, Finger Positions, Theory (1)

Standard C# Chord Shape

The most common way to play the C# chord essentially the root-5 C# barre chord, played on the fourth fret. Often, as in the example below, the first finger does not actually form a barre, but instead simply plays the root note.

Easy C# Chord Shape

The easy version of the C# chord is played on the first three strings of the guitar. Learning this simplified shape can be a good way to start using the Bb chord if you find the barre chord versions too challenging. It is the same shape as the standard open D chord shape (without the open string) and moved down one fret (remember that C# is the same as Db).

C# Chord on the Guitar (C Shape Major) - Diagrams, Finger Positions, Theory (3)

How to Play the C Sharp Major Chord (Step by Step)

  • Place your first finger on the fourth fret of the fifth string.
  • Place your second finger on the sixth fret of the fourth string.
  • Place your third finger on the sixth fret of the third string.
  • Place your fourth finger on the sixth fret of the second string.
  • Without strumming the sixth string, strum the first five strings.

The instructions above are step by step instructions for playing the most common C# Major chord shape. These instructions can actually be super helpful when you feel like you’re interpreting the shape incorrectly. By going through the C# chord instructions step by step, you can verify that you’re playing the chord correctly.

Barre Chord Shapes for C Sharp

The C# chord can be played as a barre chord by playing a root 6 barre chord shape and starting on the 9th fret or by playing a root 5 barre chord Major shape and starting on the 4th fret:

C# Chord on the Guitar (C Shape Major) - Diagrams, Finger Positions, Theory (4)

C# Major Triads

Playing the C# chord using barre chord shapes is the most common way of playing the chord. However, it is also useful to explore the chord using triads (including inversions). The C sharp Major triad can be voiced in the following three ways:

  • C# Major Triad (Root Position) – C#, E#, G#
  • C# Major Triad (1st Inversion) – E#, G#, C#
  • C# Major Triad (2nd Inversion) – G#, C#, E#

Here are six different ways to play the C# Major triad (including inversions).

C# Chord on the Guitar (C Shape Major) - Diagrams, Finger Positions, Theory (5)

Which Keys Have The C# Chord in Them?

The C# chord can be found in the following keys:

  • The key of C# Major (C#, D#m, E#m, F#, G#, A#m, B#dim)
  • The key of G# Major (G#, A#m, B#m, C#, D#, E#m, Fxdim)
  • The key of F# Major (F#, G#m, A#m, B, C#, D#m, E#dim)
  • The key of A# minor (A#m, B#dim, C#, D#m, E#m, F#, G#)
  • The key of D# minor (D#m, E#dim, F#, G#m, A#m, B, C#)

Alternative But Useful C Sharp Chord Shapes

The following shapes are alternative ways of playing the C sharp Major chord shape. They’re not the most common C# shapes, but used enough to include here as interesting alternatives.

C# Chord on the Guitar (C Shape Major) - Diagrams, Finger Positions, Theory (6)

C# Chord Substitutions

The C# chord can often be substituted with the C# sus 4 chord, the C# sus 2 chord and the C# add 9 chord. The C# chord can also be used itself as a substitute for more complicated chords, such as the C# Major 7 chord, the C#7 chord, and other extension chords which have C# as the root note (it can’t be used in place of minor chords though!).

Which Scales Can Be Played Over the C# chord?

The most common and effective scales that can be used to solo/improvise over the C# Major chord, or to create melodies for the purposes of song writing are:

  • C# Major scale – This is the ‘default scale’ of the C# chord.
  • C# Lydian mode – This scale can be used over the C# chord in certain contexts to add a jazz flavour.

Further Reading

  • C# Major scale
  • How Major chords work
  • Chords page
  • C#/E# chord
  • C#/G# chord

C# Chord on the Guitar (C Shape Major) - Diagrams, Finger Positions, Theory (2024)

FAQs

What finger position is the C chord on a guitar? ›

C Chord Variation for the Acoustic Players
  • Index finger: 2nd fret of the D (4th) string.
  • Middle finger: 3rd fret of the A (5th) string.
  • Ring finger: 3rd fret of the B (2nd) string.
  • Pinky finger: 3rd fret of the E (1st) string.

What is a C# chord? ›

The C♯ major chord is a triad formed from a root (C♯), a major third (E♯) and a perfect fifth (G♯).

What is C# vs C on guitar? ›

C# is a major chord, and it includes three notes: C#, E#, and G#. Being a half-step up from the C major chord, C# has a slightly brighter sound and is often used in various music genres, including blues, jazz, pop, and rock.

What notes are in C# Major? ›

The notes of the C-sharp major scale

The notes are C♯ (C sharp), D♯ (D sharp), E♯ (E sharp, enharmonically equivalent to F natural), F♯ (F sharp), G♯ (G sharp), A♯ (A sharp), B♯ (B sharp, enharmonically equivalent to C natural), and C♯ (C sharp).

What chord is the same as C#? ›

The C-sharp major triad, more commonly called the C-sharp major chord or simply the C-sharp chord for short, consists of the notes C-sharp, E-sharp and G-sharp. It is enharmonic with the D-flat major chord – meaning that both chords are the same on the piano, even though the notes are different.

What chords are in the key of C# major? ›

Chords in the key of C♯ major (C♯ major diatonic chords)
  • I. C major C E G 1st inv 2nd inv 7th
  • ii. D minor D F A 1st inv 2nd inv 7th
  • iii. E minor E G B 1st inv 2nd inv 7th
  • IV. F major F A C 1st inv 2nd inv 7th
  • V. G major G B D 1st inv 2nd inv 7th
  • vi. A minor A C E ...
  • vii° B diminished B D F

What chords are on the C# scale? ›

Therefore the triad chords in the key of C sharp are C#maj, D#min, E#min, F#maj, G#maj, A#min and B#dim. The four note extended chords based on the C sharp major scale are C#maj7, D#min7, E#min7, F#maj7, G#7, A#min7 and B#m7b5.

What mode is C# major? ›

The following are the modes of C Sharp Major: C# Ionian (Major) D# Dorian (Minor) E# Phrygian (Minor)

What chords are in the key of C#? ›

Chords in the key of C♯ major (C♯ major diatonic chords)
  • I. C major C E G 1st inv 2nd inv 7th
  • ii. D minor D F A 1st inv 2nd inv 7th
  • iii. E minor E G B 1st inv 2nd inv 7th
  • IV. F major F A C 1st inv 2nd inv 7th
  • V. G major G B D 1st inv 2nd inv 7th
  • vi. A minor A C E ...
  • vii° B diminished B D F

What does C Sharp Major look like? ›

C-sharp major key signature

This key has seven sharps in its key signature, F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯. The sharps will always be written in this order on the key signature. Here's a useful tip to help you identify a key from a key signature with sharps.

Top Articles
Craigslist Littleton Nh
75 Kleine Badezimmer Ideen & Bilder - Juli 2024
Visitor Information | Medical Center
Brgeneral Patient Portal
What happens if I deposit a bounced check?
Phenix Food Locker Weekly Ad
Vocabulario A Level 2 Pp 36 40 Answers Key
Our History | Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church - Houston, TX
Becky Hudson Free
[2024] How to watch Sound of Freedom on Hulu
Power Outage Map Albany Ny
Hmr Properties
General Info for Parents
Cooktopcove Com
Chile Crunch Original
Bx11
Uky Linkblue Login
Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress review 2024
Erica Banks Net Worth | Boyfriend
Mikayla Campinos Laek: The Rising Star Of Social Media
Www Craigslist Com Bakersfield
Bernie Platt, former Cherry Hill mayor and funeral home magnate, has died at 90
Reptile Expo Fayetteville Nc
Woodmont Place At Palmer Resident Portal
Wics News Springfield Il
Filthy Rich Boys (Rich Boys Of Burberry Prep #1) - C.M. Stunich [PDF] | Online Book Share
Jobs Hiring Near Me Part Time For 15 Year Olds
Greensboro sit-in (1960) | History, Summary, Impact, & Facts
2487872771
Kaiser Infozone
Grandstand 13 Fenway
Shaman's Path Puzzle
Cheap Motorcycles Craigslist
Weekly Math Review Q4 3
No Hard Feelings Showtimes Near Tilton Square Theatre
About My Father Showtimes Near Amc Rockford 16
Emily Tosta Butt
Hazel Moore Boobpedia
Charli D'amelio Bj
What to Do at The 2024 Charlotte International Arts Festival | Queen City Nerve
Poe Self Chill
Fluffy Jacket Walmart
Large Pawn Shops Near Me
Actress Zazie Crossword Clue
Washington Craigslist Housing
Guy Ritchie's The Covenant Showtimes Near Look Cinemas Redlands
What your eye doctor knows about your health
Raley Scrubs - Midtown
Rise Meadville Reviews
Psalm 46 New International Version
The Ultimate Guide To 5 Movierulz. Com: Exploring The World Of Online Movies
Guidance | GreenStar™ 3 2630 Display
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Stevie Stamm

Last Updated:

Views: 5625

Rating: 5 / 5 (80 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Stevie Stamm

Birthday: 1996-06-22

Address: Apt. 419 4200 Sipes Estate, East Delmerview, WY 05617

Phone: +342332224300

Job: Future Advertising Analyst

Hobby: Leather crafting, Puzzles, Leather crafting, scrapbook, Urban exploration, Cabaret, Skateboarding

Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.