All chords › C#

C# Guitar Chords

51 chord types built on C#, from the plain triad through to the extended and altered shapes — 504 playable voicings in total, every one with its fingering marked.

47% of the C# shapes here (238 of 504) let at least one string ring open, so a lot of them sound fuller than the barre versions and are easier to hold. As a key centre, C# is the I chord; it also turns up as the IV of F# and the V of G#.

The five you will reach for first

The five shapes every player meets first: the plain major and minor triads, the power chord, and the two triads that alter the fifth. Between them these 5 chords account for 85 of the 504 C# shapes on this site.

Jump to: C# · C#m · C#5 · C#aug · C#dim

C#

C#FG#
14 shapes · open & play
X
X
X
4
1
2
X
4
3
1
2
1
X
X
3
2
1
4
X
X
X
3
2
1
3
X
4
1
2
3
4
1
X
X
4
1
3
4
2
X
X
6
4
1
1
1
X
X
X
6
4
1
2
6
3
2
1
1
1
4
X
X
8
2
1
3
4
9
1
3
4
2
1
1
X
X
9
3
2
1
1
X
X
X
9
3
2
1
X
X
X
11
1
3
4

C# turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of C# major, V of F# major, IV of G# major, VI of F minor, III of Bb minor, VII of Eb minor.

Progressions that actually use it: I – V – vi – IV (C# major), I – vi – IV – V (C# major), I – IV – V (C# major), I – IV – iv – I (C# major).

Fret and finger numbers for C#
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 4 X 1 X 1– 4 – 1 – 2
X 4 3 1 2 1– 4 3 1 2 1
X 4 3 X 2 4– 3 2 – 1 4
X 4 3 X X 4– 2 1 – – 3
X 4 6 6 6 4– 1 2 3 4 1
X 4 X 6 6 4– 1 – 3 4 2
9 X 6 6 6 X4 – 1 1 1 –
9 X 6 X 6 X4 – 1 – 2 –
9 8 6 6 6 93 2 1 1 1 4
9 8 X X 9 92 1 – – 3 4
9 11 11 10 9 91 3 4 2 1 1
X X 11 10 9 9– – 3 2 1 1
X X 11 10 9 X– – 3 2 1 –
X X 11 13 X 13– – 1 3 – 4

C#m

C#EG#
17 shapes · open & play
X
X
X
O
4
1
X
X
O
4
1
2
X
O
4
2
1
3
X
X
3
1
2
4
X
X
O
4
1
3
4
X
X
X
O
4
1
3
X
O
4
1
3
4
2
X
4
1
3
4
2
1
X
X
X
4
1
3
2
X
X
O
6
4
1
1
X
X
X
O
6
1
4
O
9
1
3
4
1
1
X
X
O
9
1
2
3
X
X
O
9
3
1
1
9
1
3
4
1
1
1
X
X
9
3
1
1
1
X
X
X
11
1
3
2

C#m turns up as the i, v, iv, vi chord across 6 keys: i of C# minor, v of F# minor, iv of G# minor, vi of E major, ii of B major, iii of A major.

Progressions that actually use it: i – VI – III – VII (C# minor), i – iv – v (C# minor), i – iv – V7 – i (C# minor), i – VII – VI – V (C# minor).

Fret and finger numbers for C#m
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 4 X 1 X 0– 4 – 1 – –
X 4 X 1 2 0– 4 – 1 2 –
X 4 2 1 2 0– 4 2 1 3 –
X 4 2 X 2 4– 3 1 – 2 4
X 4 6 6 X 0– 1 3 4 – –
X 4 6 X X 0– 1 3 – – –
X 4 6 6 5 0– 1 3 4 2 –
X 4 6 6 5 4– 1 3 4 2 1
X 4 X X 5 4– 1 – – 3 2
9 X 6 6 X 04 – 1 1 – –
X X X 6 9 0– – – 1 4 –
9 11 11 9 9 01 3 4 1 1 –
9 X X 9 9 01 – – 2 3 –
X X 11 9 9 0– – 3 1 1 –
9 11 11 9 9 91 3 4 1 1 1
X X 11 9 9 9– – 3 1 1 1
X X 11 13 X 12– – 1 3 – 2

C#5

C#G#
12 shapes · open & play
X
X
X
3
1
4
X
X
4
1
3
4
2
X
X
X
4
1
3
2
X
X
X
X
4
1
2
X
X
X
4
1
3
4
X
X
X
6
4
1
1
X
X
X
6
1
3
4
X
X
9
1
4
2
3
X
X
X
9
1
2
3
X
X
X
X
9
1
3
X
X
X
X
9
3
1
X
X
X
X
11
1
3

C#5 fits 12 of the twenty-four major and minor keys — a chord this open leaves most of the scale untouched. These are the 6 where it carries the weight, as the I, IV or V: I of C# major, i of C# minor, V of F# major, v of F# minor, IV of G# major, iv of G# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for C#5
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 4 X X 2 4– 3 – – 1 4
X 4 6 6 X 4– 1 3 4 – 2
X 4 X 6 X 4– 1 – 3 – 2
X 4 X X X 4– 1 – – – 2
X 4 6 6 X X– 1 3 4 – –
9 X 6 6 X X4 – 1 1 – –
X X X 6 9 9– – – 1 3 4
9 X 11 X 9 91 – 4 – 2 3
9 X X X 9 91 – – – 2 3
9 11 X X X X1 3 – – – –
X X 11 X 9 X– – 3 – 1 –
X X 11 13 X X– – 1 3 – –

C#aug

C#FA
16 shapes · open & play
X
X
4
2
3
1
X
X
X
4
2
1
X
2
3
2
1
1
4
X
X
3
2
1
1
X
X
X
3
2
1
3
X
X
4
1
3
4
2
X
X
X
5
2
3
1
O
X
X
6
4
1
1
O
X
X
X
6
4
1
X
X
7
3
2
1
4
O
X
X
X
9
1
2
X
X
X
9
1
2
3
X
X
9
4
2
3
1
X
X
10
2
1
1
4
X
X
X
10
2
1
1
X
X
X
11
1
4
3

C#aug — The fifth is raised, which puts a note outside every major and minor key. It almost always appears on the way somewhere — holding a major chord for a moment while the top voice climbs toward the next one.

Fret and finger numbers for C#aug
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 4 X 2 2 1– 4 – 2 3 1
X 4 X 2 X 1– 4 – 2 – 1
X 4 3 2 2 5– 3 2 1 1 4
X 4 3 2 2 X– 3 2 1 1 –
X 4 3 X X 5– 2 1 – – 3
X 4 X 6 6 5– 1 – 3 4 2
X X X 6 6 5– – – 2 3 1
9 0 X 6 6 X4 – – 1 1 –
9 0 X X 6 X4 – – – 1 –
9 8 7 X X 93 2 1 – – 4
9 0 X 10 X X1 – – 2 – –
9 X X 10 10 X1 – – 2 3 –
X X 11 10 10 9– – 4 2 3 1
X X 11 10 10 13– – 2 1 1 4
X X 11 10 10 X– – 2 1 1 –
X X 11 14 X 13– – 1 4 – 3

C#dim

C#EG
26 shapes · open & play
X
X
O
O
3
1
X
O
X
O
3
1
X
O
O
3
1
2
X
O
4
1
2
3
X
O
O
2
3
4
1
X
O
O
2
3
1
4
X
O
2
3
1
4
2
X
X
X
3
1
2
X
O
3
2
3
4
1
X
X
O
X
O
4
1
X
X
O
O
4
1
2
X
O
O
4
1
2
3
X
X
X
O
6
1
3
X
O
X
O
7
3
1
X
O
O
7
3
1
2
X
O
7
3
1
2
4
X
X
O
O
8
2
1
O
O
8
2
3
4
1
X
O
O
8
2
3
1
X
X
O
O
8
4
1
X
X
O
8
4
2
1
X
X
X
8
2
3
1
X
X
8
4
2
1
3
X
X
O
X
O
9
1
X
X
O
X
O
11
1
X
X
X
11
1
2
3

C#dim is the ii° and the vii° chord of B minor and D major.

Fret and finger numbers for C#dim
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 4 X 0 2 0– 3 – – 1 –
X 4 2 0 X 0– 3 1 – – –
X 4 2 0 2 0– 3 1 – 2 –
X 4 2 0 2 3– 4 1 – 2 3
X 4 5 0 2 0– 3 4 – 1 –
X 4 2 0 5 0– 3 1 – 4 –
X 4 2 0 5 3– 3 1 – 4 2
X 4 2 X X 3– 3 1 – – 2
X 4 5 0 5 3– 2 3 – 4 1
X 4 X 0 X 0– 1 – – – –
X 4 X 0 5 0– 1 – – 2 –
X 4 5 0 5 0– 1 2 – 3 –
X X X 6 8 0– – – 1 3 –
9 7 X 0 X 03 1 – – – –
9 7 X 0 8 03 1 – – 2 –
9 7 X 0 8 93 1 – – 2 4
9 X X 0 8 02 – – – 1 –
9 10 11 0 8 02 3 4 – 1 –
9 10 X 0 8 02 3 – – 1 –
X X 11 0 8 0– – 4 – 1 –
X X 11 9 8 0– – 4 2 1 –
9 X X 9 8 X2 – – 3 1 –
X X 11 9 8 9– – 4 2 1 3
9 X X 0 X 01 – – – – –
X X 11 0 X 0– – 1 – – –
X X 11 12 X 12– – 1 2 – 3

The rest of the C# chords

C# Major-family chords

9 chord types · 53 shapes

C#maj7 · C#add9 · C#6 · C#maj9 · C#maj11 · C#maj13 · C#6/9 · C#maj7add11 · C#maj7add13

C# Minor-family chords

14 chord types · 110 shapes

C#m7 · C#m6 · C#m6/9 · C#m(maj7) · C#m7add11 · C#m(maj7)add11 · C#m7add13 · C#m(maj7)add13 · C#m(add9) · C#m9 · C#m(maj9) · C#m11 · C#m(maj11) · C#m13

C# Dominant chords

6 chord types · 38 shapes

C#7 · C#9 · C#11 · C#13 · C#7add11 · C#7add13

C# Suspended & Altered chords

17 chord types · 218 shapes

C#sus2 · C#sus4 · C#7sus4 · C#maj7sus4 · C#7sus2 · C#maj7sus2 · C#6sus4 · C#6sus2 · C#m7b5 · C#m7#5 · C#dim7 · C#7b9 · C#7#9 · C#7b5 · C#aug7 · C#aug7b9 · C#m7b9

Every chord above has an open & play link that opens it in the interactive dictionary, where you can hear it and step through the shapes. You can also work backwards from a shape you are already holding.