As a minor tonicC♯ minor
The natural-minor loop - every chord is drawn from the key's own seven notes.
C♯ Minor Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♯ Minor chord is built on the root note C♯. Its notes are C♯, E and G♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as D♭ Minor.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Minor chords have a darker, more introspective quality. A root, a minor third and a perfect fifth give them a reflective, sometimes sad character that's common in ballads, folk and film scores.
- Notes
- C♯ · E · G♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7
- Note
- C♯
- Quality
- Minor
- Symbol
- C♯m
C♯ Minor on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C♯ Minor on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C♯, middle finger on E and little finger on G♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard C♯ and G♯ are black keys and E is white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♯1
- E♭3
- G♯5
C♯ Minor on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♯ Minor is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 9: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. If the full barre won't ring yet, play strings 4 to 1 only: they already hold all three notes.
C♯ · E · G♯
Play C♯ Minor on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
C♯ Minor chord notes
Also known as D♭ Minor
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♯(C#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | E | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♯(G#) |
How to use the C♯ Minor chord
The C♯ Minor chord is built from a root, a minor third and a perfect fifth. Start at the root C♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C♯, E and G♯. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor chords are everywhere in rock, pop, classical and film music. They often act as the vi chord in major keys or as the i, iv and v in a natural minor key.
In major keys C♯m is the iii in A major, the vi in E major and the ii in B major; in minor keys it's the v in F♯ minor, the i in C♯ minor and the iv in G♯ minor.
How C♯ Minor differs from similar chords
C♯m differs from C♯ by a single note, a third that sits a half step lower. Unlike C♯°, it keeps a perfect fifth, which is why it sounds sad rather than unstable. Add a minor seventh and you get C♯m7, a softer version of the same chord.
Where C♯ Minor is used
A minor chord works as the tonic of its own key, and as the vi or the ii of a major one. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Scales that contain C♯m
These scales include C♯m as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
C♯ Natural Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
C♯ Harmonic Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B♯
C♯ Melodic Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯
C♯ Dorian
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B
C♯ Phrygian
C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
C♯ Aeolian
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
C♯ Hungarian Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F𝄪 · G♯ · A · B♯
C♯ Neapolitan Major
C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯
C♯ Neapolitan Minor
C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B♯
D Lydian
D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B · C♯
D Hungarian Minor
D · E · F · G♯ · A · B♭ · C♯
D Lydian Augmented
D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B · C♯
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C♯ Minor chord?
- The C♯ Minor chord contains C♯, E and G♯ (C#, E and G# in plain text).
- Is the C♯ Minor chord major or minor?
- C♯ Minor is a minor chord. Minor chords have a darker, more introspective quality. A root, a minor third and a perfect fifth give them a reflective, sometimes sad character that's common in ballads, folk and film scores.
- What key is the C♯ Minor chord in?
- In major keys C♯m is the iii in A major, the vi in E major and the ii in B major; in minor keys it's the v in F♯ minor, the i in C♯ minor and the iv in G♯ minor.
- How do you play C♯ Minor on piano?
- Place your fingers on C♯, E and G♯ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard C♯ and G♯ are black keys and E is white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play C♯ Minor on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 9: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. If the full barre won't ring yet, play strings 4 to 1 only: they already hold all three notes.
- What is another name for the C♯ Minor chord?
- C♯ Minor is enharmonically equivalent to D♭ Minor. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.