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C♯ Guitar Chord

C♯ major (C♯) is made of the notes C♯ E♯ G♯. Here are 3 ways to play it on guitar, starting with the easiest.

How to play C♯ on guitar

  1. Shape 1

    Barre at fret 4

    4fr 1 3 C♯ G♯ C♯ E♯ G♯

    x46664

  2. Shape 2

    Barre at fret 1

    1 4 3 2 C♯ E♯ G♯ C♯ E♯

    x43121

  3. Shape 3

    Barre at fret 9

    9fr 1 3 4 2 C♯ G♯ C♯ E♯ G♯ C♯

    9-11-11-10-9-9

Notes in C♯

Formula 1 3 5
DegreeNote
1C♯
3E♯
5G♯

Shape 1 step by step

  1. Lay your index finger flat across strings 5 to 1 at fret 4.
  2. Lay your ring finger flat across strings 4 to 2 at fret 6.
  3. Don’t play string 6.
  4. Strum from string 5 to string 1.

Shape 2 step by step

  1. Lay your index finger flat across strings 3 to 1 at fret 1.
  2. Put your little finger on string 5 at fret 4.
  3. Put your ring finger on string 4 at fret 3.
  4. Put your middle finger on string 2 at fret 2.
  5. Don’t play string 6.
  6. Strum from string 5 to string 1.

Tune your guitar first

A chord only sounds right when your instrument is in tune. Check your strings with the free online tuner before you practise. Open the guitar tuner

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯ chord?

C♯ major has the notes C♯ E♯ G♯. Its formula is 1 3 5. The numbers are steps of the major scale, counted from the root.

What is the easiest way to play C♯ on guitar?

Start with shape 1 (barre at fret 4), written as x46664 from string 6 to string 1. Here x means you don’t play that string and 0 means it rings open.

What is the difference between C♯ and C♯m?

C♯ has the notes C♯ E♯ G♯, and C♯m has C♯ E G♯. The only difference is that C♯ has E♯ where C♯m has E.

Is C♯ the same chord as D♭?

Yes. C♯ and D♭ sound the same and use the same shapes. The name a chart uses depends on the key of the song.

Major chords in every key

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