All chords › C# › Major-family

C# Major-family Chords

Major seventh and the colours stacked on top of it. These are the chords that sound settled and bright rather than restless.

9 chord types · 53 playable voicings · frets 1–13 · 0 use an open string

None of these shapes use an open string, so every one of them is movable — the same grip slides along the neck to give you the other eleven roots. In the keys you are most likely to meet them, these chords sit as the I of C#, the IV of F#, and the V of G#.

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

C#maj7

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

C#maj7 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of C# major, IV of G# major, VI of F minor, III of Bb minor.

Progressions that actually use it: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 (C# major), Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7 (C# major), vi7 – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 (C# major), i7 – VImaj7 – IIImaj7 – VII7 (F minor).

Fret and finger numbers for C#maj7
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 4 X 1 1 1– 4 – 1 1 1
X 4 3 1 1 1– 4 3 1 1 1
X 4 3 1 1 4– 3 2 1 1 4
X 4 3 5 X 4– 2 1 4 – 3
X 4 6 5 6 4– 1 3 2 4 1
X X 11 10 9 8– – 4 3 2 1
9 11 10 10 9 91 4 2 3 1 1
X X 11 13 13 13– – 1 2 3 4

C#add9

C#FG#Eb
6 shapes · open & play
X
X
4
1
1
2
X
4
1
1
3
2
X
X
3
2
1
3
4
X
6
4
1
1
1
1
X
X
6
4
1
1
2
X
X
9
3
2
1
4

C#add9 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: Iadd9 – V – vi7 – IV (C# major).

Fret and finger numbers for C#add9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 4 1 1 X 1– 4 1 1 – 2
X 4 1 1 2 1– 4 1 1 3 2
X 4 3 X 4 4– 2 1 – 3 4
9 6 6 6 6 X4 1 1 1 1 –
9 6 6 X 6 X4 1 1 – 2 –
X X 11 10 9 11– – 3 2 1 4

C#6

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

C#6 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.

Fret and finger numbers for C#6
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 4 3 3 6 4– 2 1 1 4 3
X 4 3 3 X 4– 2 1 1 – 3
X 4 6 6 6 6– 1 3 3 3 3
9 X 6 6 6 62 – 1 1 1 1
9 X 6 X 6 64 – 1 – 2 3
9 8 6 6 6 64 3 1 1 1 1
9 8 6 6 9 63 2 1 1 4 1
9 11 8 10 X X2 4 1 3 – –
X X 11 13 11 13– – 1 3 2 4

C#maj9

C#FG#CEb
4 shapes · open & play
X
4
1
1
1
1
X
3
2
1
4
3
3
6
4
1
1
1
1
3
9
1
3
2
2
1
4

C#maj9 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of C# major, IV of G# major, VI of F minor, III of Bb minor.

Fret and finger numbers for C#maj9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 4 1 1 1 1– 4 1 1 1 1
X 4 3 5 4 4– 2 1 4 3 3
9 6 6 6 6 84 1 1 1 1 3
9 11 10 10 9 111 3 2 2 1 4

C#maj11

C#FG#CEbF#
4 shapes · open & play
X
6
4
4
2
1
3
6
4
4
1
2
1
3
X
9
1
1
2
3
4
9
1
1
2
3
1
4

C#maj11 is the I and the III chord of C# major and Bb minor.

Fret and finger numbers for C#maj11
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
9 9 X 8 6 84 4 – 2 1 3
9 9 6 8 6 84 4 1 2 1 3
9 9 10 10 X 111 1 2 3 – 4
9 9 10 10 9 111 1 2 3 1 4

C#maj13

C#FG#CEbBb
2 shapes · open & play
8
3
1
1
1
4
2
9
1
3
2
2
4
4

C#maj13 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of C# major, IV of G# major, VI of F minor, III of Bb minor.

Fret and finger numbers for C#maj13
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
9 8 8 8 9 83 1 1 1 4 2
9 11 10 10 11 111 3 2 2 4 4

C#6/9

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

C#6/9 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.

Fret and finger numbers for C#6/9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 4 3 3 4 4– 2 1 1 3 4
9 6 6 6 6 64 1 1 1 1 1
9 6 6 8 6 64 1 1 3 1 1
9 8 6 8 6 64 2 1 3 1 1
9 8 8 8 9 92 1 1 1 3 4
9 8 8 8 9 112 1 1 1 3 4
9 11 11 10 11 111 3 3 2 4 4

C#maj7add11

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

C#maj7add11 is the I and the III chord of C# major and Bb minor.

Fret and finger numbers for C#maj7add11
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 4 4 1 1 1– 3 4 1 1 1
X 4 3 1 1 2– 4 3 1 1 2
X 4 3 5 2 2– 3 2 4 1 1
X 4 4 5 6 4– 1 1 3 4 2
9 9 6 6 6 84 4 1 1 1 3
9 9 10 10 9 91 1 2 3 1 1
9 9 10 10 9 X1 1 3 4 2 –
X X 11 11 13 13– – 1 2 3 4

C#maj7add13

C#FG#CBb
5 shapes · open & play
X
3
2
2
1
4
X
4
1
3
2
4
4
8
2
1
1
4
3
1
9
1
3
2
2
4
1
X
9
1
3
2
2
4

C#maj7add13 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of C# major, IV of G# major, VI of F minor, III of Bb minor.

Fret and finger numbers for C#maj7add13
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 4 3 3 1 4– 3 2 2 1 4
X 4 6 5 6 6– 1 3 2 4 4
9 8 8 10 9 82 1 1 4 3 1
9 11 10 10 11 91 3 2 2 4 1
9 11 10 10 11 X1 3 2 2 4 –

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.