Guitar, piano and ukulele chords

C♯ chord (C sharp major)

The C♯ chord (C sharp major) has 3 notes: C♯, E♯ and G♯. It is a major chord: root, major third and perfect fifth. It sounds bright and stable. It works as I in D flat major, V in F sharp major and IV in A flat major.

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.

×
Barre chord · fret 1
x43121
4fr ×
Barre chord · fret 4
x46664

Notes in the chord

NoteInterval
C♯Root
E♯Major 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 (C♯, E♯ and G♯) make the chord in root position.

On ukulele

Usual shape
1114
4fr
Higher up the neck · fret 4
6544

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯ chord?

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

How do you play C♯ on guitar?

The usual shape is x43121, read from the low E string to the high E string.

What keys is C♯ in?

C♯ is in D flat major (I), F sharp major (V), A flat major (IV), E flat minor (VII), F minor (VI) and B flat minor (III).