C♯ major chord on ukulele (C♯)

C♯ is C♯, E♯ and G♯. The usual shape is 6-5-4-4. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

How to play C♯ on ukulele

Shape 1, 6-5-4-4, reading from the G string on the left, starts at the 4th fret:

1. Index finger: E string, 4th fret (G♯).
2. Middle finger: A string, 4th fret (C♯).
3. Ring finger: C string, 5th fret (E♯).
4. Pinky: G string, 6th fret (C♯).

• The pinky takes a note here. Keep it curved and close to the fretboard between chords so it has less distance to travel.
• On ukulele you strum all four strings. The top G string is tuned higher than the C, which is why ukulele chords sound bright and close.

Other ways to play C♯

• 10-8-9-8: movable shape at the 8th fret, medium. Higher up the neck it sounds brighter; handy when another guitar is already playing a lower shape.

Capo shortcuts for C♯

A capo turns an open chord into C♯: capo on the 1st fret and play the open C shape (0-0-0-3), capo on the 3rd fret and play the open B♭ shape (3-2-1-1), capo on the 4th fret and play the open A shape (2-1-0-0) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open G shape (0-2-3-2). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

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♯ (6-5-4-4) to F♯ (3-1-2-1): your index finger lands on the C string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the A string, 1st fret, move the ring finger to the E string, 2nd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Shared note: C♯. F♯ on ukulele
• A♭ (V in D♭ major): C♯ (6-5-4-4) to A♭ (1-3-4-3): the index finger goes to the G string, 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the C string, 3rd fret, your ring finger lands on the A string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Shared note: G♯. A♭ on ukulele
• B♭m (vi in D♭ major): C♯ (6-5-4-4) to B♭m (3-1-1-1): your index finger lands on the C string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the E string, 1st fret, the ring finger goes to the A string, 1st fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. C♯ and E♯ carry over from one chord to the other. B♭m on ukulele

C♯ has the stable, upbeat sound of every major triad. All 3 notes of C♯ fit on the ukulele's four strings, with one of them doubled. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

A short C♯ drill

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: C♯, E♯, G♯, C♯. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Then switch to 10-8-9-8 and back four times without looking at your hand.

Written D♭, it's the same chord with the same frets.

Where C♯ shows up

• I in D♭ major
• IV in A♭ major
• V in F♯ major
• III in B♭ minor
• V in F♯ minor
• VI in F minor
• VII in E♭ minor

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

In D♭ major, I–IV–V on ukulele is C♯ (6-5-4-4), F♯ (3-1-2-1) and A♭ (1-3-4-3). About the three-chord progression.

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

C♯ on guitar and piano

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

Next to try on ukulele

• C♯m
• C♯7
• C♯maj7
• C♯sus4
• C♯add9
• C♯6

Other major chords

• C
• D
• E♭
• E
• F
• F♯
• G
• A♭
• A
• B♭
• B

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside C♯. Updated September 2026. Print this chord