C#m guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - i - m - a · Classic Ascending (4/4 · 4 notes · Level 1)
The thumb plays C# on the 5th and the three top strings add up to 3 different notes. All 6 arpeggios
Steady bass with uniform ascending movement.
Play C#m one string at a time and you hear C#, E and G#. C# is the root, E the minor third and G# the fifth. Said aloud, its notes are C sharp, E and G sharp.
From the low string to the high one you hear C#, G#, C#, E and G#. C# rings twice across the five strings, and it is the root. The lowest note is C# on string 5 and the highest is G# on string 1.
For C#m, your index finger barres fret 4. Avoid string 6. Everything fits between frets 4 and 6. Besides the main one there are two more shapes, at frets 1 and 9.
C#m7 is one change away. String 3 moves from fret 6 to fret 4, bringing in B, the minor seventh of C#m7. It shares two notes with E, E and G#. Going to Abm, two positions stay the same. It can also be written Dbm, and it sounds the same.
C#m belongs to five keys. In E major it is the vi, in B major the ii and in A major the iii. The rest appear in the key list. Further down there is a song that uses it.
C# 1E ♭3G# 5
Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 4 (C#)
String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted
Placement tip: Barre fret 4. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 6, 3rd String (G) at fret 6, 2nd String (B) at fret 5. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Barre fret 9. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 11, 4th String (D) at fret 11.
Placement tip: Press: 5th String (A) at fret 4 with your Pinky finger, 4th String (D) at fret 2 with your Middle finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 1 with your Index finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 2 with your Ring finger. Play open: 1st String (High E). Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 4 to 6 |
| Barre | fret 4, from the 5th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 4 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | 6th |
At fret 4, only the barre sounds the 5th and 1st strings.
Listen: C#m → Dbm · Abm · Ab
C#m sits in the scale of 5 keys.
Well-known songs where this chord plays a clear role
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the C#m chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.
The primary bass note of the C#m chord is its root note: C#. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 4.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The C#m chord is constructed using the 1 - ♭3 - 5 formula (Minor Triad). Its constituent pitches are C#, E, G#.
To prevent fret buzz on the C#m barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
"Shape of You" (Ed Sheeran, 2017). Part of the chord loop that repeats through most of the song (C#m - F#m - A - B).
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