Skip to content

Chords in the key of C♯ Major

The seven chords of C♯ Major and the 7th chord on each, with the key signature and the keys closest to it.

Short answer

The key of C♯ Major contains seven diatonic chords: C♯, D♯m, E♯m, F♯, G♯, A♯m, B♯°. They're built on each degree of the C♯ Major scale.

Tonic
C♯
Key signature
7 sharps
Scale
C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B♯
Relative key
A♯ Natural Minor
Dominant
G♯
Parallel key
C♯ Natural Minor

Diatonic chords in C♯ Major

Build a triad on each note of the C♯ Major scale and you get these seven chords. Add one more scale note on top and you get the 7th chord beside it.

DegreeTriad7th chordHear
IC♯C♯maj7
iiD♯mD♯m7
iiiE♯mE♯m7
IVF♯F♯maj7
VG♯G♯7
viA♯mA♯m7
vii°B♯°B♯m7♭5

Key signature of C♯ Major

C♯ Major has 7 sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯. The signature at the start of each staff line makes those notes sharp all the way through, unless an accidental says otherwise.

Practise reading key signatures

C♯ Major on the piano

Show:
C♯ Major on the pianoB♯E♯B♯E♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯ Major - C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯

Common progressions in C♯ Major

The most popular chord progressions written in this key. Click any progression to hear it.

I–V–vi–IV in C♯ major
C♯G♯A♯mF♯
I–IV–V in C♯ major
C♯F♯G♯
ii–V–I in C♯ major
D♯m7G♯7C♯maj7
I–vi–IV–V in C♯ major
C♯A♯mF♯G♯
I–IV–V–I in C♯ major
C♯F♯G♯C♯
I7–IV7–I7–V7 in C♯ major
C♯7F♯7C♯7G♯7
vi–IV–I–V in C♯ major
A♯mF♯C♯G♯
I7–I7–I7–I7–IV7–IV7–I7–I7–V7–IV7–I7–V7 in C♯ major
C♯7C♯7C♯7C♯7F♯7F♯7C♯7C♯7G♯7F♯7C♯7G♯7

Related keys

The keys a song in C♯ Major most often borrows chords from or moves to.

CGDAEBC♭F♯G♭D♭C♯A♭E♭B♭FAmEmBmF♯mC♯mG♯mA♭mD♯mE♭mB♭mA♯mFmCmGmDmMajorMinor
C♯ Major is lit, with its relative key and the keys a fifth either side.

Questions people ask

What chords are in the key of C♯ Major?
The key of C♯ Major contains seven diatonic chords: C♯, D♯m, E♯m, F♯, G♯, A♯m, B♯°. They're built on each degree of the C♯ Major scale.
How many sharps or flats are in C♯ Major?
C♯ Major has 7 sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯. The signature at the start of each staff line makes those notes sharp all the way through, unless an accidental says otherwise.
What are the 7th chords in C♯ Major?
Adding a seventh to each chord of C♯ Major gives C♯maj7, D♯m7, E♯m7, F♯maj7, G♯7, A♯m7, B♯m7♭5.
What is the relative key of C♯ Major?
It's A♯ Natural Minor. It uses exactly the same notes and key signature as C♯ Major, but its music centres on A♯.
What are the most common progressions in C♯ Major?
Pop and rock songs in C♯ Major usually rely on I-V-vi-IV, I-IV-V and ii-V-I. Each appears in our progression library with audio.
Why do these chords sound good together?
Every chord in C♯ Major is built using only notes from the C♯ Major scale, so they share the same tonal center and naturally resolve to the I chord.
How do I transpose a song to C♯ Major?
Use our free Chord Transposer, paste the original chords and shift them to C♯ Major. The tool keeps the relationships between chords intact.

Related chords, scales and keys