Explore and Master the C#m Guitar Chord Interactively

A C#m chord (C# minor) is made of C#, E and G#. The root, a minor third and a perfect fifth give it the dark colour that C# major lacks.

None of the eight voicings here uses an open string, and four of them are barre shapes. Played in a key, C#m is the vi chord of E major, the ii chord of B major and the iii chord of A major. For a solo, reach for the C# minor pentatonic scale, whose five notes include all three chord tones.

With the note labels switched on at the top, you can see where the C#, the E and the G# fall in each shape.

C# minor guitar chord is also written as C#m, C#min, C#- or C#mi.

Notes in the C# m chord:

C# E G#

Chord Formula:

Formula: 1 b3 5

C# M Chord Interactive Fretboard

Want a structured chord roadmap instead of jumping between pages?
Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

C# M Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the A and high E strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 5 of the B string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 6 of the D string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 6 of the G string

Position 2 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the low E, G, B and high E strings at the same time
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 11 of the A string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 11 of the D string

Position 3 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 11 of the D string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 12 of the high E string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 13 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 14 of the B string

Position 4 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the A string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 5 of the B string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 6 of the D string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 6 of the G string

Position 5 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the G and B strings at the same time
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 11 of the A string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 11 of the D string

Position 6 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the G string
Mute the B string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 4 of the A string

Position 7 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the D string
Mute the G string
Mute the B string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 9 of the low E string

Position 8 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the G, B and high E strings at the same time
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 11 of the D string

Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C m | D m | E m | F m | G m | A m | B m | C#m | D#m | F#m | G#m | A#m | Abm | Bbm | Dbm | Ebm | Gbm

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

Which notes make up C#m?

C#, E and G#. The E is a minor third from the root C#, and G# is the perfect fifth.

What makes C# minor different from C# major?

Only the third changes. C# major has E#, while C# minor has E, one semitone lower, which gives the chord its minor sound.

Is Dbm another name for C#m?

Yes, Dbm is the flat spelling, with the notes Db, Fb and Ab. It sounds identical to C#m, but C#, E and G# are simpler to read.

Where does C# minor sit in major keys?

It is the vi chord in E major, the ii chord in B major and the iii chord in A major. In C# minor it is the i chord.

How many ways are there to play C#m on guitar?

There are eight voicings, four of them using a barre and none using open strings. They span fret 2 to fret 14.