What C♯ minor is built from
Counting up in semitones from C♯:
| Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|
| C♯ | root | 0 |
| E | minor third | 3 |
| G♯ | perfect fifth | 7 |
Move all three of those the same distance and you get the same chord on another root — that is what the minor triad formula 0 – 3 – 7 means.
How to play C♯ minor
Leave the low E string out. Lay your first finger flat across fret 4 and let the other fingers take the notes above it. The shape runs from fret 4 to fret 6.
All four strings are played. The E string rings open. Nothing is higher than fret 4, so it sits in first position.
Play C♯, E and G♯ together. That is one white key and two black.
Numbers in the grids are frets. Where a number is printed beside a grid, that is the fret the top row stands for; otherwise the thick bar at the top is the nut. A circle above a string means play it open, a cross means leave it out.
Guitar, string by string
| Guitar string | Stopped at | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| low E | not played | — |
| A | fret 4 | C♯ |
| D | fret 6 | G♯ |
| G | fret 6 | C♯ |
| B | fret 5 | E |
| top E | fret 4 | G♯ |
Ukulele, string by string
| Ukulele string | Stopped at | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| G | fret 1 | G♯ |
| C | fret 1 | C♯ |
| E | open | E |
| A | fret 4 | C♯ |
C♯ minor on the stave
The same three notes written on a treble stave, spelled the way a minor triad is spelled — one letter for every other step, with whichever accidental reaches the pitch. That is why it reads C♯, E and G♯, and not the same sounds written some other way.
Which keys C♯ minor belongs to
| Key | Relative minor | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| E major | C♯ minor | vi |
| A major | F♯ minor | iii |
| B major | G♯ minor | ii |
Each row is a key whose scale contains every note of C♯ minor. A major key and its relative minor use the same seven notes, so the chord belongs to both.
Chords that sit next to C♯ minor
The seven triads built on the scale of E major. These are the chords C♯ minor is most often played alongside, because they are made from the same seven notes. The small numeral is the degree each one stands on.
Other chords on C♯
Same root, different notes above it.
D♭ major is its parallel: same root, same fifth, and only the third between them.
Chords straight off a recording
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