The C# chord (C sharp major) on guitar

C# has no open position: every shape of it needs either a barre or a reduced voicing. The good news is that you already know its shapes. It is the D shape one fret lower, the C shape one fret higher, and the A and E barre shapes at frets 4 and 9. Its notes are C#, E# and G#. E# is the same pitch as F; the chord spells it E# because its third has to be a kind of E.

C# chord: notes and shapes at a glance

• Name: C sharp major
• Symbol: C#
• Notes: C#, E#, G#
• Where it belongs: I in C# major, V in F# major, VII in D# minor, V in F# minor, III in A# minor

Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.

Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.

How to play C#, from easy to full

1. Three strings, no barre: xxx121

First finger on the third string (G) at fret 1, second finger on the high E at fret 1, third finger on the second string (B) at fret 2. This is the top of an open D chord, slid down one fret. Strum only the three thinnest strings. It is a real C# major, just without a bass note.

2. The C shape: x43121

Think of an open C chord (x32010) and move everything up one fret. The open strings of C now have to be fretted at fret 1, so the first finger lies across the third, second and first strings. Second finger on the second string at fret 2, third finger on the fourth string at fret 3, fourth finger on the fifth string at fret 4. It is a stretch, but it puts C# in the bass without a full barre.

3. The standard barre: x46664

First finger across fret 4 from the fifth string down. Third finger flat across the fourth, third and second strings at fret 6. Leave the low E out. If the flat third finger chokes the second string, use three fingers instead: second, third and fourth on frets 6 of the fourth, third and second strings.

4. The ninth fret: 9 11 11 10 9 9

The open E chord, barred at fret 9. First finger across all six strings at fret 9, second finger on the third string at fret 10, third and fourth fingers on the fifth and fourth strings at fret 11. Up there the frets are narrow, so the barre is easier than it looks.

Where C# shows up

For guitarists, C# matters mostly as the V chord of F#. In F# minor, the key of many rock and soul songs, it is the major chord that pulls back to F#m; in F# major it does the same to F#. The list of keys above names it the I of Db major too: C# and Db are one chord, and sheet music in that key will say Db.

To hear it: Lenny Kravitz's It Ain't Over 'til It's Over opens on C# and moves back and forth to F#, without a capo. Not to be confused with plain C, a half step lower, explained on the C chord page.

C#7 and C#maj7: one finger away

From the barre at fret 4, two small changes give you the two seventh chords built on C#. Both keep the same barre.