How to Play the C# Chord on Guitar (2024)

C# is not commonly found on our usual chord progression charts. Nor is it one of the first guitar chord shapes we learn to play.

But it does crop up from time to time, so it’s good to know a couple of ways to play it. And we also get to add another vibrant color to our chords palette.

In this article, we explore:

• How to play two common C# guitar chord shapes
• How to play a barre chord – and why it can be challenging
• How to make the C# chord easier to play and sound cleaner

What is a C# Chord on Guitar?

The C# Major guitar chord consists of three notes: C#, E#, and G#. These are the first, third, and fifth notes in the scale of C# major, and are known as the “chord tones”. The first note (C#) is called the “root note”, and together, these three notes are known as a “major triad”.

Sometimes these notes will occur more than once on different strings. But together, they form the C# major guitar chord, commonly known as “C#”.

How to Play C Sharp Major and Minor Guitar Chords

The image to the left is a C-sharp major chord. The image to the right is a C-sharp minor chord.

We’ll hear the difference if we listen to the two chords one after the other. It’s only one note, but it gives each chord a distinct “quality”.

Major chords can be said to sound “happy” and minor chords are sometimes described as “sad”.

To learn how to play these chord shapes, we can use a chord diagram.

How to Understand Chord Diagrams

A chord diagram is a useful tool. It tells us which strings to play, and which fingers to use.

The Left-Hand Fingers

We number the left-hand fingers 1 to 4.

1 is the first finger (index or pointer finger). 2 is the second finger, and so on.

C Sharp Major Chord

Let’s use the diagram to look at our first chord shape: the C sharp major chord.

Steps to Play the C# Chord:

• Step 1: Finger 1 on the 1st fret of the third string (g string)
• Step 2: Finger 2 on the 1st fret of the first string (e string)
• Step 3: Finger 3 on the 2nd fret of the second string (b string)
• The sixth, fifth, and fourth strings are not played
• We can place the right-hand thumb on the third string and strum
• This is the same shape we often use for D major, but with each of the fingers positioned one fret lower.

C# Minor Chord

Let’s look at the diagram for the C# minor chord.

Steps to Play a C#m Chord:

• Step 1: Finger 1 on the 1st fret of the third string (g string)
• Step 2: Finger 2 on the 2nd fret of the second string (b string)
• The sixth, fifth, and fourth strings are not played
• The high E string is left open
• We can place the right-hand thumb on the third string and strum

Barre Chords

Note for beginners: Feel free to skip this section. You can return to it later if you choose.

A bar (barre) chord substitutes the guitar nut (fret zero) with the first finger. This acts like a capo. The first finger lays across two or more strings, while the other fingers fret other notes. By eliminating open strings, we can play chords all over the guitar neck.

Playing bar chords can be difficult. Our fretting hand can get tired quickly. And we can mute strings by mistake or get unwanted buzzing sounds.

One of the most common issues with bar chords is excess tension. We tend to press too hard. Over time this may lead to injury.

Selective pressure will help with any bar chord. This means paying close attention to which strings we press for a given chord. Then we can press with more appropriate pressure where we need it, and avoid pressing too hard where we don’t.

With the right technique, we can play bar chords more easily.

The C# Major Full Barre Chord Diagram

We can use a full bar to play a C# Major (Db Major) chord.

This is harder than the shape above. But this version sounds more “full” with added bass notes.

Steps to Play the Full C# Barre Chord:

• Step 1: Finger 1 on the 4th fret across the fifth, fourth, third, second, and first strings (see selective pressure above)
• Step 2: Finger 2 on the 6th fret of the fourth string (d string)
• Step 3: Finger 3 on the 6th fret of the third string (g string)
• Step 4: Finger 4 on the 6th fret of the second string (b string)
• The sixth string (low e string) is not played

We can place the right-hand thumb on the fifth string and strum down.

The C# Minor Barre Chord Diagram

We can also use a full bar to play a C# minor chord.

Steps to Play the Full C# Barre Chord:

• Step 1: Finger 1 on the 4th fret across the fifth, fourth, third, second, and first strings (see selective pressure above)
• Step 2: Finger 2 on the 5th fret of the second string (b string)
• Step 3: Finger 3 on the 6th fret of the fourth string (d string)
• Step 4: Finger 4 on the 6th fret of the third string (g string)
• The sixth string (low e string) is not played

We can place the right-hand thumb on the fifth string and strum.

Is There An Easy C# Chord on Guitar?

Playing bar chords is difficult to begin with.

But we don’t have to perfect this tricky chord shape before we can play a C# in a song. We can use the easier version shown above. And we can also discover other different finger combinations to play C#.

We call this alternate fingering or alternative “voicing”.

To the right is an example of a C# chord with an alternate fingering.

• Step 1: First finger on the 1st fret of the third string (g string)
• Step 2: Second finger on the 2nd fret of the second string (b string)
• Step 3: Third finger on the 3rd fret of the fourth string (d string)
• The first, fifth and sixth strings are not played
• With our right hand, we can place our thumb on the fourth string (d string), and strum down. We need to stop before the first string (high e).

The disadvantage of this shape is that it can be tricky to avoid strumming the high E string (first string).

It’s usually better to finger-pick this version. This prevents the open first string (high E) from being included by mistake.

Is C# the Hardest Guitar Chord?

The barre C# chord is a commonly used shape. It involves more strings than the easier shapes, so produces a fuller sound.

But for beginner guitar players, full-barre chords can be daunting. So here are some tips to make it easier.

Ways to Make the C# Chord Easier to Play

Here are three common problems – and some tips to make the barre C# chord easier. (It’s not all down to index finger strength.)

Muted or Buzzing Strings

A good hand position on the guitar fretboard is the key here.

It’s good practice to keep our thumb centered behind the fourth fret. And it helps to think of the bar as levered, rather than squeezed.

We might need to adjust the position of our index finger. We don’t want the strings to nestle into the inside creases of our knuckles.

We’ll also get a better sound if we roll our barring finger slightly to the side. We use the bony part, rather than the soft part.

It helps to keep all the other fingers up on their tips. This ensures we don’t accidentally touch adjacent strings.

Hand and Finger Fatigue

It’s a good idea to take regular breaks during our practice sessions.

Hand and finger stretching exercises help warm up tendons, ligaments, and muscles.

We can also practice touching the strings lightly without actually exerting any pressure. This saves energy.

Clumsy Chord Changes

It sounds counter-intuitive, but practicing changing chords slowly, speeds us up.

We’re more likely to be accurate. And this consistency will gradually build up strength, dexterity, and speed.

We can also try to position our fingers in the chord shape above the fret before we press down on the strings.This is sometimes called “proprioception.”

Wrist Position

The wrist positions the fingers. So we can play more easily and consistently if the wrist puts our fingers in the best place.

The ideal left-hand position is the “C” shape. This shape allows for freedom of movement and stretch.

As a general rule, the best wrist position is one that keeps our big knuckles parallel to the side of the fretboard. This keeps all four fingers over the strings.

However, when we need more than one finger on the same fret, we can tilt our wrist. This change of position brings our fingertips more in line with the fret. And this makes it easier to keep each finger just behind the fret.

We must remember to return to the original position when we shift to new chords or notes.

How to Play the C# chord with a Right-Hand Pattern

Right-hand patterns allow us to get different sounds and textures from the guitar. Learning different patterns is a great musical and technical exercise. Right-hand patterns build dexterity and control.

First, we call the right-hand fingers:

• P – Thumb
• I – Index
• M – Middle
• A – Ring Finger
• C – Little Finger (Pinky)

One common pattern is PIMA (thumb, index, middle, ring). The PIMA pattern appears in many different styles of music. More often than not, the thumb plays the bass note.

First, form the barre C# chord with the left hand.

Then with the right hand, the I, M, and A fingers prepare on strings 1, 2, and 3. The thumb prepares to play the 6th string.

Here are the steps for the PIMA right-hand fingerpicking pattern:

• P (thumb) plays the open 6th string
• I (index) plays the 3rd string
• M (middle) plays the 2nd string
• A (ring) plays the 1st string
• Repeat the pattern in a steady rhythm

We can also pluck the fourth, third and second strings with I, M and A instead.

Another common pattern played with chords is the “outside-in” fingerpicking pattern.

Classical Guitar Technique for More Effective Right-Hand Ability

Right-hand positioning and patterns are an important focus of classical guitar technique.

We have proven methods of form, positioning, and movement. And these make fluid and beautiful playing possible.

Much of classical guitar technique is non-intuitive. So self-learners may miss ways to make playing easier and more graceful.

If you’d like to play guitar with power and ease, consider The Woodshed® Classical Guitar Program.

Members go step-by-step from the beginning, or fill in any gaps in their current abilities. And this means they quickly hear themselves playing smooth, effortless music. Click here to explore the course.

Music Theory: What is a Chord?

Theory is a tool that can help us better understand music. Theory explains how notes and chords work together to create the music we know and love.

Do we need to learn music theory? No. At least not as beginners. Practicing chords and learning to use our hands on the guitar is more important. All the abstract background knowledge can come later.

But if you are interested, in this section we’ll discuss the musical alphabet.

The musical alphabet uses only the notes named A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.

These notes can be altered by raising or lowering the pitch. We call this making a note sharp (raising) or flat (lowering).

• On the guitar, we sharpen a note by moving one fret higher
• To flatten a note, we move one fret lower

In all, this gives us 12 notes. These same 12 notes repeat going higher and/or lower. Think of the same pattern of black notes (groups of two and three) repeating up the length of a piano.

A piece of music rarely uses all 12 notes. Instead, we limit the notes to a “key.” A key is a unique collection of just seven notes.

The Key of C#, for example, contains the notes:

C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#

This is the C# major scale. To create the C# chord, we take the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes from this group of notes.

So the notes in the C# chord are C#, E#, and G#.

We can play these notes in any combination all over the fretboard. As long as we play these notes together, we are playing a C# Major chord (or just “C# chord”).

The Key of Db contains the notes:

Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, and Db.

This is the Db Major scale. It is the enharmonic equivalent of C# Major (the exact same pitches, just written differently).

To create the Db chord, we take the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes: Db, F, and Ab.

We can play these notes in any combination all over the fretboard. As long as we play these notes together, we are playing a Db Major chord (or just “Db chord”).

There’s more to learn about the relationship between chords and scales.

Chords that Sound Good with the C# chord

The most common chords played with the C# chord are:

F# Major Chord

G# Major Chord

G#7 Chord

Other chords that sound good with C# Major are:

A#m Chord

D#m7 Chord

We can find notes to all these chords within the C# major scale. The chords can appear in any order and duration, depending on the piece or song.

One of the best skills we can learn as guitarists is how to practice chords. It’s helpful to be able to switch quickly between chord shapes.

Chord Progressions

A chord progression is one chord moving to another chord. Most songs in Western music follow a chord progression.

Chord progressions can link as few as two chords together, or many different chords.

Here are two common chord progressions:

You can also create your own songs or pieces by putting together chords in any way you like.

Popular Pieces With the C# Chord

The C# chord appears in many songs and pieces of music. From Albeniz to Liszt, from ABBA to ZZ Top, C# or C#m chords are commonly used across time, culture, and genre.

An amateur classical musician might shy away from playing a piece in a key with seven sharps. But popular songs often contain C# and C# minor chords.

C# Major:

1. “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley: This iconic 80s song is in the key of B Major, but the C# Major chord appears frequently in the chord progressions.
2. “Imagine” by John Lennon: This song is played in the key of C Major on the piano, but if you were to play along with a guitar tuned in standard tuning, you’d have to transpose it up a half step to the key of C# Major to match.

C# Minor:

1. “Fallin'” by Alicia Keys: The introduction to this Grammy-winning song is played in C# Minor.
2. “E.T.” by Katy Perry: This hit pop song features a chord progression in C# Minor.
3. “Shape of My Heart” by Sting: The song’s guitar riff revolves around the C# Minor chord.