C♯ major chord on guitar (C♯)

C♯ is C♯, E♯ and G♯. The usual shape is x-4-6-6-6-4, a barre at the 4th fret. Tap Play, then slow it down.

x-4-6-6-6-4 · barre · medium

Notes: C♯ · E♯ · G♯
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5
First shape: x-4-6-6-6-4

How to play C♯ on guitar

Shape 1, x-4-6-6-6-4, reading from the low E string on the left, starts at the 4th fret:

Barre the 4th fret with your index finger, covering the 5 strings from the A string to the high E string.
Put your middle finger on the D string at the 6th fret, which is G♯.
Put your ring finger on the G string at the 6th fret, which is C♯.
Put your pinky finger on the B string at the 6th fret, which is E♯.
Skip the low E string and begin the strum from the A string.

If one string buzzes under the barre, it is usually sitting in a crease of your finger. Slide the barre up or down a few millimeters until it rings.
Your little finger has a job in this shape; it gets stronger in a week or two of short daily practice.

Other ways to play C♯

x-4-3-1-2-x: movable shape, medium. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.
9-11-11-10-9-9: barre shape at the 9th fret, medium. The root is on the low E string, so you can slide this shape to play any major chord.

C♯ the capo way

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 1st fret and play the open C shape (x-3-2-0-1-0), capo on the 4th fret and play the open A shape (x-0-2-2-2-0) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open G shape (3-2-0-0-0-3). The chord sounds as C♯ because the capo raises every string by a half step.

Changing from C♯ to the chords around it

Songs rarely hold C♯ for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

F♯ (IV in D♭ major): C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4) to F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. C♯ carries over from one chord to the other. F♯ on guitar
A♭ (V in D♭ major): C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4) to A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 5th fret, your ring finger lands on the A string, 6th fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. G♯ carries over from one chord to the other. A♭ on guitar
B♭m (vi in D♭ major): C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4) to B♭m (x-1-3-3-2-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the B string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the D string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. The two chords share C♯ and E♯, which is why the change sounds smooth. B♭m on guitar

C♯ has the stable, upbeat sound of every major triad. Major chords are the backbone of most songs; C♯ is home in C♯ major and a common IV or V in the keys around it. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Getting C♯ under your fingers

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: C♯, G♯, C♯, E♯, G♯. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Next, alternate x-4-6-6-6-4 and x-4-3-1-2-x, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

You may also see it as D♭; nothing changes on the guitar.

Where C♯ shows up

In D♭ major, I–V–vi–IV on guitar is C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4), A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4), B♭m (x-1-3-3-2-1) and F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2). About the pop progression.

In D♭ major, I–IV–V on guitar is C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4), F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2) and A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4). About the three-chord progression.

In D♭ major, I–vi–IV–V on guitar is C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4), B♭m (x-1-3-3-2-1), F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2) and A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4). About the 50s progression.

C♯ on piano and ukulele

The same notes on another instrument: C♯ on piano and C♯ on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.

Related C♯ chords on guitar

Other major chords

C♯ on guitar: questions

What notes are in C♯ on guitar?

C♯, E♯ and G♯. In the x-4-6-6-6-4 shape the strings play C♯ (A string), G♯ (D string), C♯ (G string), E♯ (B string) and G♯ (high E string), so C♯ and G♯ are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play C♯ on guitar?

C♯ has no open-string shape in standard tuning, so every version needs a barre or a stretch. Start with x-4-3-1-2-x. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and a capo is worth trying when the song allows.

Is C♯ a barre chord on guitar?

In its standard form, yes. x-4-6-6-6-4 has your index finger across the 4th fret. If that's hard, try x-4-3-1-2-x.

Which string does C♯ start on?

In the x-4-6-6-6-4 shape the lowest string you play is the A string at the 4th fret, which is C♯, the root. Skip the low E string.

Every shape above plays only C♯, E♯ and G♯, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.