Guitar chord · Triads

C♯ major chord on guitar

6 ways to play C♯ on guitar, with finger positions, tabs and step-by-step instructions.

Bright, stable and resolved — the foundation of most songs.

C♯ is the I chord in D♭ major, IV in A♭ major and V in F♯ major. In minor keys: III in B♭ minor, V in F♯ minor, VI in F minor and VII in E♭ minor.

Spell as D♭

Guitar

Standard tuning (E A D G B E) · 6 voicings · E string on the left · Other tunings →

Left-handed

Lay your index finger (1) flat across 5 strings at the 4th fret — this is the barre.
6th string (low E): don’t play — mute it
5th string (A): 4th fret, held by the barre C♯
4th string (D): 6th fret, middle finger (2) G♯
3rd string (G): 6th fret, ring finger (3) C♯
2nd string (B): 6th fret, pinky finger (4) E♯
1st string (high E): 4th fret, held by the barre G♯

e|--4---|
B|--6---|
G|--6---|
D|--6---|
A|--4---|
E|--x---|

Top line is the high E string. x = don’t play, 0 = open string.

Bright dots are the selected voicing — the rest are other places you can find the same chord tones.

There’s no open-string way to play C♯ on guitar with the root in the bass, so the standard shape is a barre across the 4th fret (x46664).

You’ll find C♯ in common progressions such as C♯–G♯–A♯m–F♯ (the pop progression in C♯ major), C♯–F♯–G♯–F♯ (three-chord rock in C♯ major) and C♯–A♯m–F♯–G♯ (the ’50s progression in C♯ major).